Christy Phelps is an artist and art instructor in Norman, Oklahoma. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts from the University of Oklahoma, an Associate of Arts in Visual Arts from Oklahoma City Community College, and she sells art at various shops and galleries in central Oklahoma.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Color and shape are my first language and preferred forms of expression. Whether the piece is a detailed representational oil painting, colorful pottery created to be held and handled, or figure sculpture capturing a scene in space and time, my work evokes feeling. It often magnifies precious moments or the emotions of particular moments.
Usually vibrant and playful, the imagery of my work subtly provokes discussion of more weighty underlying concepts. Through classical aesthetics, I address a variety of contemporary topics often related to women’s issues, modesty culture, censorship, and common humanity. I have also addressed climate change, immigration concerns, and racial equality in occasional series or collections.
The level of detail in my paintings, the size of my tabletop sculptures, and the interactive features of my pottery and glass art maintain intimate conversation levels. I sometimes incorporate my art mediums by hand-painting ceramic figure sculptures, using glass fusion work in my sculptures, or firing ceramic decals of my oil painting images onto my pottery. I also model as the study for many of my paintings and sculptures, providing an even deeper personal connection to my work and its message.
Through the years, my focus has broadened from realist oil painting to three-dimensional art forms. While there is always a new series of paintings in progress, I am also enjoying the greater levels of interaction ceramics and sculpture provide, both in the creative process of physically shaping the clay and in the relationship others have with my work.
