ARTISANS

Bear, birds, coyotes, and more, saunter through the spaces of Cristina’s paintings, often stopping to look at the viewer with interest and acuity. Inspired by her life spent adjacent to wild places and her personal heritage, Big Bear High School graduate, and artist Cristina Acosta, has lived her life by her brush. 

 

Beginning as a sign lettering and mural artist, she worked her way through a BFA from University Oregon in Eugene. Inspired by her cultural blend of European / Mexican / Indigenous heritage, she developed an art style melding a whimsical fusion of happy color and movement. 

 

A mother and artist entrepreneur, Cristina also wrote and illustrated several books, including a few children’s books; taught art classes at Central Oregon Community College (5 years of evening classes); and shared her fine art paintings in galleries and regional museums around the Western States. 

 

Classically trained and completely analog in her formal approach to painting, Cristina works in a variety of mediums including, oils, acrylics, drawing materials, collage and ceramic mosaics. Her newest work, featured at Artisan’s Etc., Gallery in Big Bear Lake, is a medley of forest creatures including her signature California Bear Flag painting and more.