Artist Statement
Cristall Harper’s paintings, no matter the subject matter, have a “realistic abstraction”. One critic described her stylized look as “beautifully rooted in reality,” while Southwest Art wrote: “No matter the subject, the joy of painting for Harper is all about seeing shapes and colors on an abstract level and then interpreting them in her brush strokes.” Her preferred painting method is alla prima, and her paintings are a study of light, color and form.
Harper’s love for art began young. She often returns to her memory of a monumental lily painting in her childhood home, studying how the artist, using only paint, made the surface look real. Perhaps most influential was the stained glass window of irises that hung in her father’s office; the translucent glass, with its backlit colors and faceted shapes, still impacts her art today.
Bio
Born in Texas and raised in Missouri, Harper received a bachelor of fine arts in painting from Utah’s Brigham Young University in 2002. After several years of selling her work through boutiques and frame shops—and even on eBay—she made the decision in 2007 to focus on her art full-time. A tulip festival in 2009 inspired a wide body of floral work, which landed her first show at a gallery in Provo, Utah. When she began painting her yellow lab, Buttercup, the resulting work caught the eye of other galleries, including Astoria Fine Art in Jackson, Wyoming, where she was honored with her first solo show in 2018. In 2016, she was selected as the featured artist for the Art & Soup Charity Event in Salt Lake City, a show that annually attracts dozens of artists and thousands of patrons. Harper is a member of Oil Painters of America and American Women Artists. Her work has been featured in American Art Collector, Southwest Art, and the Salt Lake Tribune. She paints from her studio in American Fork, Utah, where she lives with her husband, a few rascally chickens, and her new yellow lab, Cricket. Harper is represented by Astoria Fine Art in Jackson, Wyoming; Gallery 330 in Fredericksburg, Texas; and FourSquare Art online.
Past Shows, Awards & Publications
2022
Art at the Park , September 2022, This is the Place Heritage Park, Salt Lake City, UT
Honorable Mention for oil painting “Forest Friends”, January 2022, Oil Painters of America Fall Online Showcase
Group Therapy solo show, June 2022, Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, WY
2021
Contemporary Wildlife Showcase, July 2021, Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, WY
97th Annual Spring Salon, April 22 – July 3, 2021, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
NOAPS 2021 Spring International Online Exhibit, May 2021 – “Golden” was accepted along with 199 others out of over 1250 entries
2020
96th Annual Spring Salon (Fall Edition due to COVID), October 21, 2020 – January 13, 2021, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
235 Smaller Works Show, December 5, 2020 – February 14, 2021, Frame of Reference Fine Art, Whitefish, MT
11th Annual 6″ Squared Exhibition and Sale, December 2020, onlinegalleryshows.com hosted by Randy Higbee Gallery
Holiday Showcase, December 2020, Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, WY
Honoring Utah Artists, December 2020/January 2021, Alpine Fine Art, Salt Lake City, UT
Runner-Up Award, National Artistic Excellence Competition, Southwest Art Magazine
Artistic Excellence Winners and Finalists, Southwest Art Magazine, December 2020 / January 2021 issue
Solo Show, Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, WY
Second Place Award, Oil Painters of America Summer Showcase, Associates Division
2019
Arts & Living Section Cover Story, Salt Lake Tribune, Sunday, November 17, 2019 issue, Salt Lake City, UT
Second Place Award, Park City Nursery Plein Air Paint Out, Park City, UT
About Locals, Gallery MAR, Park City, UT
95th Annual Spring Salon, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
An Unhurried Path, Southwest Art Magazine, May 2019 issue, 6-page feature
2018
New Work at the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival, Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, WY
Affirmations, Gallery MAR, Park City, UT
“Summer Swim” published on the back cover of American Art Collector, July 2018 issue
Solo Show, Astoria Fine Art, Jackson, WY
30th Annual Art & Soup Celebration, Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT
2017
Familiarity, Gallery MAR, Park City, UT
Seasons Art Salon, Ashton Gardens, Lehi, UT
29th Annual Art & Soup Celebration, Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT
The Great Gala, St. Mark’s School, Salt Lake City, UT