Featured Artist : Christina Steele

My name is Christina Steele, and I own and operate Kite Flyer Art, which I opened in 2008 after graduating

from college with my BFA. My work has recently transitioned from drawings and paintings into Pointe

shoes in the past year. I combine my love for Fiber arts with the design work and symbolism that is

foundational in my sketchbooks and paintings. Throughout the years, I have been deeply inspired by and

focused on the inner relationships of humanity, the world around us, and God. The heart

behind my work is to provoke inquiry into those relationships and display my personal experiences.

 

I was originally trained in 2-D (drawing and painting), but also took a few Fiber courses in

college. This sparked a love for dyeing, batik, and fabric painting, and fueled my pre-existing love for the

designs and fiber arts of India. My professor introduced me to Dharma Trading. All of the products used

in the courses came from Dharma. After graduating, I pulled out the dyes. My initial project was fabric

painting using the Pebeo Setacolors to create design work on my wedding dress. In 2012, I re-engaged

in dyeing and picked up some retired Pointe shoes as new canvases. I begin the process by first dyeing the shoes with the Pebeo

Setacolors, and then follow up by applying the designs in the same way Mehndi artists apply henna, on the

shoes. The designs have been applied in acrylic paint, but I will soon be experimenting with thickening

the dyes and manipulating them more.

 

Kite Flyer Art was birthed out of an early childhood desire to fly. I was never more right with

the world than when I dreamt of flying or felt a strong gust of wind rip under the thin plastic wings of my

kite to send it soaring.

 

My final year of college was spent developing a cohesive body of work. I wanted more than

anything to share the greatest story I'd ever experienced -- the Gospel. In developing those pieces, the

symbol of a kite surfaced continually (with enough personal meaning that I had it tattooed behind my

ear). Once I graduated, I opened Kite Flyer Art, and my Etsy shop followed two years later.

 

I was driven to use art as a conduit to communicate a relationship that I have with the Lord, which has gone to the very depths of who I was and still am, and brought my life; brought me flight.

 

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You can see more of Christina’s work on her website, purchase prints and shoes in her Etsy store, and

follow her Facebook page: