Photo by Michelle Krewinghaus
“Inspiration can be found all around us.”
Kristen Peyton’s passion is painting. She is an artist and the co-director and curator of the Flippo Gallery at Randolph-Macon College. Her paintings are inspired by her surroundings. “At times, I hunt for beauty in the ordinary and seek to paint beautiful things,” she explains. “Other times and more often than not, I seek to make the ordinary beautiful.” Whether she is in her home, commuting, in her studio, or out and about within the community, she observes the lights, shadows, color, and geometry of what is around her. “Through my work, I offer an attentive lens of captured light, time, and space,” she explains. “I hope to invite my viewer to pause, enter the created space of my works, and experience something of the visual abundance of our world.”
Under 9thStreet by Kristen Peyton
River House by Kristen Peyton
Her latest work is inspired by the space underneath the 9th Street Bridge in the Manchester neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. She deems this place and those similar to be “pockets of space.” Kristen describes pockets of space as a “lyrical rhythm created by the interweaving of near and far space.” She sees this in the bridge’s steel supports and the surrounding landscape. She says that the arched steel supports create a repeated pattern within the space that adds structure to the composition of her painting.
As a resident and citizen of the Richmond community, this space does not interest her solely as an artist. She is thankful for the people that pass by her while she is painting. She answers questions about her vision and finds joy in seeing and meeting others who become inspired by her work and the city that inspires it.
This month, Kristen will feature her recent work in a group show titled “Points of View” at Dwell Fine Art & Craft in Washington, Virginia. She is also working on a large show for August 2021 at the new Quirk Hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia. Additionally, Kristen is represented by Eric Schindler Gallery in the Churchill neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia, where her work can be viewed year-round. During the pandemic, Kristen has continued to stay positive by working on her art. “The silver lining of 2020 has been the gift of unexpected time,” she says. “With fewer commitments on the calendar, I have spent more time and focus behind my easel.”
Across E 14th Street by Kristen Peyton
Ninth Street Bridge from Manchester by Kristen Peyton
She is also happy to announce that she is expanding her family. “My husband, Daniel, and I are expecting our first child in January 2021. We are ecstatic,” she says. “While I am conscious of the fact that painting will take a back seat to mothering in the coming season, I am excited to see the ways in which motherhood will inform my vision.” She is excited to see what is to come and while she does not know what the future holds, she looks forward to being both a mother and artist.
To learn more about Kristen Peyton and view her work, visit kristenlied.com.
