Really. Where do I start???

I am Cristina Rose.

It is what my parents named me and I love it, so I use it.

I didn't always love it as when I was young, I couldn't write it, so I changed my name to Kim, it was easier,as everyone automatically puts a 'H' in Cristina also people called me Christine and Chris which definitely ISN'T me, my name was shortened to Tina by the family, though I could be happy as a Cristy now. (It is funny that Brandt had the same problems at school, so changed his name to Johnny!)

So when I started painting in large volumes, I had a dilemma of what to sign my name as, I was breaking away from being 'tiny Tina' or 'Tina pretty ballerina', so reverted back to my now adult name of Cristina at about 19 years old. This was when Brandt and I started dating and were engaged a month later, so I was going to change my last name sometime(nearly 4 years later)

So what do I sign in the meantime?

I was always going to be Cristina Rose from Lyle to McRitchie, I was still Cristina Rose, so that is what I sign.

I have so many sections and types of paintings that I have been doing over the years, that I am finding it hard to make a start on this blog, as I don't have any of my earlier works here and all the photos are on film and still in storage on the sunshine coast.I have found 3 rare photos which I had scanned to use.

Canvas's were hard to find and very expensive, so mine were handmade from calico mostly, not like the Chinese made ready available array available in most shops today.

Most of what I painted was for presents, so I quickly took a snap before I handed it over and never went back to take another 'good' photo on the wall.
My Sister Maria's 30th Birthday painting
Mark & Elle McAllister's wedding present.
Our good friends and Grays point party neighbours, Jonathan & Donna Dockings wedding & housewarming present.

My old Bedroom wall which became the lounge room wall when we extended the house.

I guess that I have to start with my digital photos.

That would be just after Teddy was born in 2003, I painted a few large canvas's for the Noosa regional art gallery outdoor art exhibition.

That was where I was noticed and picked up at Raw art gallery in Noosa's Hastings street (also with thanks to the positive urgings of my can-do friend Jenny Campbell).

So I will start here.

I had started my 'day' at Raw art, which was an artists gallery run by 7 artists on a rotational system, you worked one long day and displayed every ones work, but yours more prominently on your own day, your work was displayed for 7 days by the other artists too.

I changed my style from large flowers, so as not to be too similar to the other artists work to my adored style of underwater paintings, inspired first by snorkelling in Emily bay, Norfolk Island then by a workshop with Lorraine Dick in Corrimal.

After having Children, I painted kids room paintings for some children's clothing shops in Noosa, so went along those lines and still do.

Brandt built me a fantastic studio in the bush at the back of our property on the Sunshine coast accessible by wooden boardwalk style walkways, but as they children were small, I couldn't go out there for long periods of time as I needed to be near the house for them.

Now I am wishing for a studio again, I am back painting in the yard and house, but the kids have picked up bits and pieces from me painting around them in the house and they are both arty so I guess that is a good thing.