CRYSTAL DESPAIN
b. 1981, 5th generation Colorado girl, current Colorado state Ambassador for the Portrait Society of America.
I have learned a great deal from workshops and mentorships including those held by Keith Bond, Casey Childs, Joseph Lorusso, and Dan Wison.
The Life of a Painting
SELECTED WORKS
"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.
"I knew you were funny, I just didn't know you were Funny
funny."
-my husband
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. The funny, quirky, human things that connect us.
"Thanks for the Stripper Name,
Mom and Dad." (audio)
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
Shop original oil paintings
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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!
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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