Artist: Kelsey Christensen
Title: Half Dome at Last Light
Medium: Acrylic
Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches
Price: $95
Artist Statement: This series celebrates three iconic landmarks from Yosemite—a place I find myself continually drawn to, both physically and spiritually. Each painting is a study in contrast: the raw, natural forms of the landscape shaped into bold patterns and balanced compositions. I’m drawn to the rhythm and structure found in nature—lines in granite, shadows in valleys, light shifting across rock—and I aim to use color and shape to echo that quiet order. Through this work, I wanted to capture not just what Yosemite looks like, but how it feels—a mix of awe, stillness, and majesty.
Artist Bio: Kelsey Christensen is an artist who came to painting through an unexpected path—science. After completing a master’s degree in cognitive motor neuroscience, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where a visit to a Wayne Thiebaud exhibit at SFMoMA sparked something new. The bold shadows, vivid colors, and playful precision of his work struck a chord that research hadn’t quite touched.
She began painting in the evenings, first out of curiosity, then more and more often as it became a meaningful part of her everyday rhythm. Her scientific background still echoes in her work: an interest in patterns, structure, and the quiet beauty of organization amidst mess.
After nearly a decade in the Bay Area, where her art journey began, Kelsey recently relocated to Cottonwood Heights with her husband and three kids where she paints, plays, and enjoys the chaos and color of everyday life.
