Cristina Mallol grew up with a longing for artistic expression, but it wasn’t until a few days after Hurricane Andrew hit Miami in 1992 that she bought a few tubes of watercolor paint, and in a humid house without power, completed her first painting - of a house. Next, based on a photo of a tango dancer, she produced an iconic-looking noir watercolor detailing a man, his face hidden under the brim of a hat, the spotlight highlighting his creased suit. Hooked, she began taking figure drawing and painting classes at the local university while her children went to school, and has not stopped since.
Cristina has mixed her creative talent with both formal and self-directed learning, visiting museums around the world to take notes on favorite pieces, taking art classes at Florida International University and Fairchild Botanical Gardens, reading endless books on technique, and even participating in a global Facebook Group for artists that share, critique and collaborate on projects. This online gallery arises naturally from a lifetime of personal artistic development, from a woman who has embraced technology as a way to continually learn more, engage more, and share more of the beauty that painting has brought to her life.
Cristina hails from Mar del Plata, Argentina, and arrived in the United States in the 1980s, initially living in Missouri before settling in the more tropical Miami with her husband Carlos and raising two children. She finds in color and texture unbound by representative forms, a way to express her happiness and joie de vivre. When she is not painting, you can find her out in the garden, perhaps repotting an orchid, or traveling with Carlos - enjoying the art, architecture, and food of another beautiful destination.
