Three happy, eccentric little trees sprout mischievously atop a rolling hill. A sparkling dewdrop clings to the tender underside of a morning glory's leaf. Soft, buttery light warms the interior of a beach boutique shop during a cool, California dusk.

The same hand that carefully coddles each tiny, loving detail delivers a powerful punch in message. Artist Jean Marie Christian’s purpose is not to reproduce or mimic, but to see life as filtered through a keen, intuitive lens and deliver her vision to canvas truthfully. For Ms. Christian, nature’s beauty transposed onto canvas is a celebration of God’s work. Her painted landscapes are not mere pretty pictures, rather, they whisper intimately of peace and tranquility, and invite the viewer inside for meditative introspection. Each painting is part of a spiritual journey, such as Step of Faith, which allegorically addresses the conflicts that result from the twists and turns of human experience. As her Christian faith grants, Jean Marie hopes her paintings will offer peace, embrace with compassion and uplift with hope.

The range of Ms. Christian’s expression is wide. The graceful sway of hollow reeds in the landscapes of her Newport Back Bay series evokes the peacefulness of a softy-hummed lullaby captured swiftly in space and time. Many of these landscapes are painted En Plein Air in the California Impressionist style. Jean Marie dances in the other direction with the surreal nature of her expressionistic pieces. The frenetic energy and motion of her quirky Dreams & Vision series shows off her talent for whimsy. Regardless of style, all of Ms. Christian’s pieces display careful attention to nuance and detail, as well as the freedom and enjoyment of experimentation characteristic of a well-rounded artist.

Jean Marie’s personal expression is not for its own sake, for she believes her purpose as an artist is to serve God and others. Through her brushstrokes she hopes to inspire and uplift spirits, transfix minds, and engage in a heart to heart dialogue with the viewer. She hopes each piece will be an open dialogue in contemplation of God’s glory. To express gratitude to the Lord, Ms. Christian donates a percentage of the proceeds from her work to foundations dedicated to helping troubled youths. She enjoys volunteering and teaching art to inner city teens.

Jean Marie Christian is the recipient of numerous awards and enjoys a following of supporters in the US, Canada, Europe and South America. She resides in Southern California and has traveled extensively, which has added to her collection of memories and experience from which she continually draws. She appreciates the works of Van Gogh, Modigliani, Edgar Payne and other Impressionist painters, whose influences pop up in her own pieces. Jean Marie is sought after by many institutions to teach and demonstrate. She also teaches privately and produces a variety of works including gift items, large scale and commissioned pieces.