Art emerged as a recent passion.
Krista Swisher didn’t grow up dreaming up to be an artist. She never attended art school or received formal lessons. Though she had artists who appealed to her, such as Jackson Pollock and Frida Kahlo, the idea of painting herself had never taken hold.
That changed about four years ago, when the creativity within her could not be suppressed.
“It started as a kind of hobby, something to keep me sane,” she said.
Since that time, she’s explored different approaches and inspirations, creating colorful and engaging work that leaps from the canvas. Throughout the month of May, she will be displaying her art in her first-ever solo exhibition, which will hang at the Southside Art League’s Off Broadway Gallery.
In presenting her work to the community, Swisher hopes that her story and her artwork provides a pathway for others to be creative.
“Since I started doing this, I’ve wanted art to be accessible to anyone. If people have questions or want to talk about it, I want them to engage with me in it,” she said. “I don’t want art to intimidate people.”
Swisher first attempts at painting didn’t come on a canvas; rather, she found solace at a pottery-painting business near her home in Broad Ripple. She works as an academic advisor, formerly with the University of Indianapolis and currently with IUPUI. Spending time on ceramic projects was a way to unwind and express herself.
The studio she was working in closed, and that outlet was pushed to back of her mind. But the artistic inspiration was rekindled after buying a gift for her mother, who was recovering from treatment for cancer.
“There were these kits with a little easel and a 3-inch-by-3-inch canvas that you could paint,” she said. “My mom wasn’t able to do a lot while she was recovering, and I didn’t want her to just watch TV all day, so I thought it was something she’d like. The more I thought about it, I figured it wasn’t much different than the ceramics I was doing.”
Swisher started painting on canvas, and looked to artists she admired to help guide her: Pollock, Kahlo, Willem deKooning, Lee Krasner, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Mark Rothko. She delved into their styles and approaches to art, studying their use of color, form and emotion.
“Like any typical artist, you start out imitating people you admire. After you do that long enough, you figure out your own style,” she said.
Slowly, Swisher’s own creativity emerged. She admits that she cannot draw, so her forms are more abstract and ethereal. Her belief is that art doesn’t need to show an easily identified picture in your work to help others understand how you’re feeling.
And that comes out in her work. Sometimes, she uses turmoil or triumph in the world around her and translates it to the canvas. For example, when she created a small series on the Seven Deadly Sins, it was motivated by chaos she had seen in the news in early January. Other times, her observations provide a spark.
“And sometimes, there’s absolutely no thought process at all. I grab a canvas, a paint hue will pop into my brain, and I’ll try it out,” she said. “In my experience, I’ve found that sometimes the less you think about it, the better it turns out.”
As a member of the Southside Art League, the opportunity to showcase her work came up. Swisher seized on it, choosing a variety of different paintings to hang for the month. She balanced some of her personal favorites with other work that fellow artists or friends had recommended she show.
The experience has been unreal.
“I’m still kind of processing it. I’m excited, I’m nervous — name any emotion, and I’ve probably gone through that,” she said. “My stuff is going to be in a room and people are going to see it, and that just thrills me to pieces.”
Swisher’s exhibition will hang through May 29, with all of the pieces for sale. A reception, in which people can engage with Swisher and talk about the pieces, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.
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Krista Swisher exhibition
What: A showcase of abstract expressionist paintings by Swisher, an Indianapolis artist.
When: Through May 29
Where: Southside Art League Off Broadway Gallery, 299 E. Broadway St., Greenwood
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday
Reception: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, open to the public
Information and online store: southsideartleague.org
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