Calista Graaff left city life and moved to the family farm in Ellensburg, WA in 2014. Using reclaimed materials from around the farm, she and her husband built a cozy studio where she now creates her art, surrounded by alfalfa and sunflower fields, with sweeping views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Stuart.
“I love getting out in nature and getting my hands dirty. Whenever I find some piece of rusted, discarded equipment lying around, it fascinates me to see the colors and textures that were created naturally over time. Every piece is one-of-a-kind and makes me feel something different when I look at it. There’s a special kind of beauty in its uniqueness.”
Calista draws on that inspiration to create art that captures that same feeling of natural uniqueness. She uses controlled acrylic paint pours to create unexpected, abstract representations of natural elements. Acrylic and oil paints give her work a bold, colorful, modern style. And her occasional use of recycled books and magazines lends a literary touch and additional layers of detail and discovery.
