We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christy below.

Hi Christy, thanks for joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

My creative story began in the farm country west of Chicago. as a child I excelled in art. I majored in Graphic Design in College at the same time my mom moved to Santa Fe, NM. I loved the great abstract artists of Santa Fe and my mom was a big supporter and collector of abstract art.

After college I headed to Chicago where I worked as an Art Director for Target Stores and USPS. I then moved to the Boulder Colorado area where I worked for the largest marketing agency in Colorado for 13 years launching new products and in-store marketing for Procter & Gamble, Coors, and Universal Studios.

Commercial art was my full time creative outlet for years. I didn’t paint for myself since college and missed it. I started painting at nights and on weekends. All those trips to visit mom in Santa Fe were inspiring me to paint again. I didn’t know how important this painting would soon be to me. Within a year I found out that I was losing my central vision and was becoming legally blind. I was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Stargardt disease. Only 30,000 people in the US have it. 3 months after I was diagnosed, I had to quit driving. Another year later I had to quit my job because I no longer had the visual acuity needed as a Senior Art Director. It was an incredibly dark and difficult time for me. I only told my managers at work and close friends and literally just disappeared from my existence at work one day and never got to say goodbye to anyone at my company.

After that I was homebound in the country but at least I could paint and that my subject matter was abstract. I painted every day like it was a job and it made me feel like I was still contributing. I started doing outdoor art festivals and found that it was also a great way to connect to people again and be part of the community. My husband, Craig, has been incredibly supportive of my art as he not only loves abstract, drives me to every art event, builds frames and critiques artwork.

Today, I have just opened my own studio and gallery in the Asheville River Arts District at 109 Roberts St. It’s so great to be a part of the Asheville Artis Community and I’m looking forward to a great new chapter with my own gallery.

Christy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My work is vibrant intuitive abstracts by portraying the energy, mystery and resilience of life on canvas. My work has been described as discoverable, meaning you see something new each time you look at it. I’m also known for my color and energey, 2 imaportant things since I have no central vision.

I’m most proud of recently being the cover artists for the Laurel of Asheville, the Asheville art and culture magazine.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

It struck me one day that my art is what I will leave on this earth. I don’t have children of my own and my work will live beyond me. I have work in Pakistan, Tasmania, Dominican Republic, Mexico City as well as nationwide. My mission is to create work that will let me be heard and hopefully continue to inspire people that I’ve never even met.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I lost 23 pieces of original art in the Asheville river, during Hurricane Helene. I did find two, one was returned to me after it had floated down the river 3 miles and got stuck in a fence. I’ve since sold the bent, mud covered painting to a couple from DC and gave the money to the person who found it since he had gone homeless because of the flood. I was way more fortunate than other artists who lost everything. Another lucky break was that I had signed a lease for a working studio the week before the hurricane and moved into the space in the Phil Mechanic building a week after the storm. It’s my studio and gallery today at 109 Roberts St, right next to the Radical Hotel.

Contact Info:

• Website: christyvonderlack.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christy_vonderlack_fineart/

Image Credits
Lauren Rutten