CR ROUSSEAU
“I like to use of a vibrant, often analogous color palette combined with subtle gradients and delicate brushwork to create captivating environments reminiscent of moments found in the natural world. The. dream-like quality, I work to achieve through layering colors, is done to depict depth and dimension, while evoking emotions and memories in viewers.”
CR Rousseau is renowned for her dreamlike abstract artworks that draw inspiration from fashion moments, the human form, and her beloved west coast surroundings. Originally hailing from the Greater Seattle area, she has spent numerous summers with family in California. The relaxed coastal lifestyle of Carmel-by-the-Sea and San Francisco serves as a significant influence on her artistic expression. Despite being primarily self-taught, CR Rousseau has both formally and informally studied with various visual artists. Aspiring to maintain her status as an emerging artist, she strives to uphold a naive aesthetic characterized by bold colors and simplified forms. Her artistic approach revolves around preserving an open, childlike perspective that is simultaneously playful and imaginative.
Rousseau dedicates careful attention to the emotional impact of color and the tactile qualities of form in her artwork. Her paintings feature layered and multifaceted compositions, inviting engagement and provoking thought through her expressive gestures. Influenced by artists such as Joan Mitchell, Cy Twombly, and Gerhardt Richter, Rousseau's work reflects a rich exploration of emotions and forms.“I’m interested in finding new ways of expressing an emotional aftertaste of a particular moment as well as connecting to universal human experiences. I am multi-lingual in my visual and conceptual vocabulary which has emerged through a focus on points between abstract, impressionist and expressionist work. I’ve painted since I was a child and have always been drawn to new ideas and techniques,” said Rousseau.
Today, she paints from her studio on Bainbridge Island, WA and in Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France. She exhibits in New York, California, Washington State. Her work can also be found internationally in art fairs and private collections.
Northern, Oil on Canvas, 2020.