Large Figurative Oil Painting "Sophia Loren - Cherish It" Original Textural Artwork by Christina Major

Description

Christina Major is a portrait painter interested in the ways the identity of both artist and subject can coexist in … more Christina Major is a portrait painter interested in the ways the identity of both artist and subject can coexist in a painting. Major's current creative research focuses on the traditional form of the portrait as a powerful form of representing an individual and how meaning can be expanded through scale, brushstroke, color, texture, composition, and the many variables that portraiture deals with.

This one-of-a-kind oil painting is 49 inches square. It is signed by Major on the back. The artwork is wired and ready to hang. It does not require framing. Free local Los Angeles area delivery. Affordable Continental U.S. and International shipping are also available. A certificate of authenticity issued by the art gallery is included.

Major expands the traditional portrait painting by cataloging her memories and thoughts along with the thoughts of the subject - at times recording quotes from the person depicted - by painting under, into, and over the subject in her handwriting. Major’s “hand” is visible both in the brushstroke and in the cursive writing, preserving her identity in a “readable” way both literally and through graphology, or handwriting analysis.

Major's paintings are created with oil on gesso-primed canvas. Her portraits feel overwhelming and have a “larger-than-life” presence that cannot be ignored. The large scale also creates a different “reading” of the painting depending on the viewing distance. Up close, areas may be read abstractly due to the emphasis on defined brush strokes, dabs of energetic color, and texture that is formed by the cursive text. From far away, the image coalesces from the fragmented strokes and layers of writing, drawing focus to the likeness of the subject painted.

Text incorporated into this original painting: Sophia Loren-Cherish it

I firmly believe we can make our own miracles if we believe strongly enough in ourselves and our mission on earth. You must all, somewhere deep In your hearts, believe that you have a special beauty that is like no other and that you must not abandon it. Indeed, you must learn to cherish it. Discipline is the great equalizer. Believe me, it is actions that count. Success, I would find out, is inferior. It has to do with self-fulfillment and the joy of living. It's better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life. Where youthful beauty is unconscious, mature beauty is knowing and sophisticated.

REPRESENTATION
Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, USA

EXHIBITIONS
2022 Palm Beach Modern and Contemporary, West Palm Beach, FL
Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Typographical Abstraction and Literary Portraiture, West Palm Beach, FL
2020 Evening on Antique Row, West Palm Beach, FL
Palm Beach Modern and Contemporary, West Palm Beach, FL
2019 Evening on Antique Row, West Palm Beach, FL
Contemporary Focus, Palm Beach County Convention Center, FL
Palm Beach Modern and Contemporary, West Palm Beach, FL
2018 Art Wynwood, Miami, FL
2016 Art Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, FL
2015 Art Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, FL
2014 Art Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, FL
“Above the Couch”, JF Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
“Immersed”, Gallery 2014, Hollywood, FL
2012 “Propria”, Solo Exhibition, Gallery & More, Goteborg, Sweden
2011 “Natural Interactions”, Palm Beach State College, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
“Collaboration”, Ursula’s Fine Art, West Palm Beach, FL
Christina Major, For Art Sake, Hollywood, FL
“Inward & Outward”, JF Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
2010 Christina Major, For art Sake, Hollywood, FL
Gallery 101, Ft Lauderdale, FL
“Mediums Exhibit”, JF Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
Gallery 101, Ft Lauderdale, FL
Area 23 Gallery, Miami, FL
“20 x 20”, Area 23 Gallery, Miami, FL
“Components of Self”, Schmidt Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
2009 “The Bridging Principle”, The Armory, West Palm Beach, FL
2008 “New Talent”, Gallery Camino Real, Boca Raton, FL
2007 “Visualizing Race”, University Galleries, Boca Raton, FL
2006 “No Transfat”, The Ritter Gallery, Boca Raton, FL

EDUCATION
Florida Atlantic University – Boca Raton, Fl
Masters in Fine Art, May 2010
Florida Atlantic University – Boca Raton, Fl
Bachelors in Fine Art, May 2007
Palm Beach State College – Lake Worth, Fl
Associate Degree in Graphic Design, May 2003 less