CRYSTAL DESPAIN
"THE PURSUIT OF ART IS THE PURSUIT OF TRANSCENDENCE.
TO PAINT IS TO BELIEVE ONE CAN FLY BEFORE ONE HAS WINGS TO SPREAD."
- C. Despain
b. 1981, 5th generation Colorado girl, current Colorado State Ambassador for the Portrait Society of America.
Crystal describes the artist’s experience as “a lifelong journey that requires joy in slow becomings, and a genuine hunger ... READ MORE.
SELECTED WORKS
11 x 14 oil on board
11 x 14 oil on Board
Charcoal on paper
11 x 14 oil on board
WELCOME
Learn more...
For the Love
Heirloom Commissions
"My need to paint and my need to write come from the same place; My love for connection, for people, for having the right tool to say the right thing. I paint when I can't find the words, and write when I can't see the shapes"
Timelapse
Videos
Timelapse
Videos
"Aftermath"
For those who see the worst and give their best.
"White in Night"
A little bit of drama...
"American Idol"
America's Covid currency and dubious demi-god.
The Life of a Painting
I'm a classic over thinker with a panache' for story telling and a tendency to get into trouble. Not exaggerating....
I survived a massive sandstorm on the Gobi dessert, narrowly avoided machine gun wielding bandits in the El Salvadorian jungle, died in childbirth, and was in a plane crash in Morocco. (Admittedly the plane was still on the ground when it crashed so MAYBE that one was an exaggeration...)
Usually I just write about life, Art... The funny, quirky, human things that connect us.
"Thanks for the Stripper Name,
Mom and Dad" (audio)
"The Ugly: My Depression Story" (audio)
BLOG
I finally realized that if I'm looking for balance I will spend my whole life frustrated. Life is a teeter totter.
Truth: Teeter totters are more fun than yoga."
Want to know more about my life as a working artist with 5 young sons?
Listen my interview with podcaster/artist Katrina Berg
Each Crystal Despain original is crafted with the finest oils and represents years of commitment to education and practice. Each painting that reaches a new collector is a unique part of that journey.
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Instructional Videos
A growing collection of videos featuring timelapse painting, Instructional content, favorite studio products and more!
Social media is great, but if you want the first shot at sales, new work, blog posts and other fun ways I find to take care of my favorite collectors my EMAIL LIST is the place to be. SUBSCRIBE
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
“ She captures ordinary scenes and moments—a beautiful woman or a simple ocean wave—and makes them extraordinary with her artists eye. Her paintings to me portray a place somewhere between dreams and reality. It’s hard to take your eyes off of the masterful details that make you look, and look again more deeply. I felt a connection with her artwork from the first moment I saw it and became an instant fan. Now I’m a proud owner of two of her paintings!
— HEIDI