Biography
Kristen Peyton is a painter and printmaker working from observation and invention. She earned a Masters of Fine Art in Painting from the University of New Hampshire in May of 2017 and a Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary in 2012. Kristen is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a resident of Richmond, Virginia. She is the Director and Curator of the Flippo Gallery at Randolph-Macon College and an adjunct professor of studio art at Randolph-Macon and William and Mary. She has exhibited in curated shows across the East Coast and in New York City, including Blue Mountain Gallery’s 2018 winter and summer Juried Exhibitions, juried by Betty Cuningham and John Yau respectively, as well as Linda Matney Gallery’s Celebration of Female Artists, Manifest Gallery’s MASTER PIECES, First Street Gallery’s MFA National Competition 2016, and the Oxford Art Alliance’s Juried Show 2017 in which she received the First-Place Juror’s Prize. Recent solo shows include Resonance: New Works by Kristen Peyton at the Lauren Kindle Studio in Easton, PA, and The Function of Light at the Linda Matney Gallery in Williamsburg, VA, opening October 2018.
Artist Statement
With my work I aim to express my first impression and reveal a search for the aesthetic essentials of a chosen moment. I compose structured paintings that seek to depict a satisfying harmony of control and abandon, imbued with poetic emotion. I invite my perception of light and color to guide my image-making process and let intuition lead the way. I invent, omit, and simplify whenever necessary to arrive at a pleasing balance between observation and memory.
I am interested in small, unassuming scenes that present instances of visual tension. These simple moments amplify an intriguing phenomenon I seek to capture: that any given motif may be banal and yet mysterious. Much of my work lacks figure or set-up. Rather, I am inclined to stay attentive to what surrounds me, looking for paintings in what I encounter every day. I search for intriguing color interactions and geometries by which I can make a painting. I compose with my eye and mind before reaching for brush and paint.
Interview with Kristen Peyton, Lauren Kindle’s Blog, June 23, 2018
Kenlontae’ Turner, “A Celebration of Female Artists Rolling Interview,” The Linda Matney Gallery News (blog), October 12, 2015
Art at Kings Oaks 