Painter and printmaker Christine Destrempes’ abstract works communicate through color, brilliant, dynamic, passionately realized color. Destrempes builds depth in her colors through a process of carefully modulated addition and subtraction, applying layer upon layer of paint to the panel to create the dimensional effect of seeing color behind color, then manipulating the effect by spraying and dripping water and then absorbing it with paper towels. For many years she worked in oil and oil stick, then she began to experiment with acrylic in the underpainting, adding oil and oil stick on top. Most recent works are done exclusively in acrylic.

Destrempes develops her monotype prints in much the same way, adding layers of color to achieve depth and dimension. Lately she has also been using imported, handmade paper of various textures and colors, which imparts additional depth and interest to the works.

Destrempes has exhibited widely throughout New Hampshire as well as in Boston, San Francisco, and Naples, Florida. In 2003, she was awarded a Clowes Fellowship from the Vermont Studio Center.

“My intention in making art is to express myself beyond imagery while creating a connection with the viewer,” asserts Destrempes. “My work is categorized as non-representational in that I'm not reproducing images of physical things. However, my work is representative of emotion and observation through the use of color and form.” Destrempes’ most recent undertaking has been to see the translation of several of her images into beautiful Tibetan rugs.

<< Return to Gallery of Artists homepage

Each month you'll receive informative emails about important art events.  Sign up today! It's free. And we promise never share your email address with anyone else. name: email: