A lifelong artist, color has been the foundation of my art and a metaphor for the deeper meanings of my life. Born into two cultures, I continually observed the issues around color that cast the tones of my life. As a Latina born in Los Angeles to a Hispanic Father and Anglo mother and growing up during the 60’s and 70’s in upscale neighborhoods, the color of my skin was a topic with neighbors, school teachers and others in the predominantly white neighborhoods of that time.

I soon learned that my olive skin and dark hair along with my Spanish name positioned me as a Latina, Spanish, Chicana or Mexican-American person depending upon the “viewer’s” perceptions.

The colors I wore or the colors my parents argued about when they chose carpets, furniture and paint colors became decisions that conveyed a deeper meaning beyond hue.  I realized early in life that people see color from different perspectives that deeply intertwine with culture. I was determined to know everything I could about color.

Working my way through school as a sign painting artist, I graduated from University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, with a BFA in Painting. I went on to work commercially as a billboard outdoor advertising mural artist (before computers took over the craft) and honed my visual color mixing skills. I taught college painting and drawing classes, designed and sold my signature line of ceramic art tiles to big box retailers like Home Depot, illustrated books, wrote an art instructional book titled, Paint Happy, licensed my art interior design images as floor mats and greeting cards and painted images exhibited in museums and galleries.

My love of color has been enriched and honed by all of my experiences and is now knowledge I share through my color consulting business. I help my clients create foundation color stories for their projects; from the homeowner choosing colors for their walls, to the business client choosing colors for their office design or business project.

Contact me for color consulting.

Cristina Acosta Art & Design llc 541-389-5711

Cristina@CristinaAcosta.com