about me and my art
statement
I am inspired by hope, encouragement, joy, and peace. Through my paintings I seek to capture the warmth and light we see—and often long to see—in the world. My work explores nature as visual sanctuaries: spaces where beauty offers comfort, reflection, and quiet renewal.
Working from my own photographs and plein-air studies, I paint the emotional experience of being in these landscapes rather than a literal record of them. Colors may become warmer, tree trunks redder, and light is placed intentionally within the composition. These choices allow the painting to hold the feeling of the place rather than simply its appearance.
Light plays a central role in my work. It filters through forests, rests on water, or glows in the distance, guiding the eye through the landscape. In these moments I am interested in how nature can create a pause from the pace of everyday life—a place to breathe, reflect, and allow hope to quietly emerge.
Through layered acrylic techniques and dry brushing, I balance realism with atmosphere. My goal is not only to depict a landscape, but to create a space the viewer can enter and dwell within—as a place of refuge, contemplation, and divine encouragement.
Biography
Christina Lim is an emerging Bay Area artist. After earning a BFA in Graphic Design from California College of the Arts, she spent 25 years in the design industries—15 of them in management & leadership—before pivoting in 2020 to become the Chief of Staff at a start-up, a move that helped her regain a work-life balance and rekindled her passion for painting.
Since 2021, Christina has been exhibiting and selling her miniature artworks in acrylic and watercolor. In 2024, she began to expand her work to larger canvases and entered the professional scene.
Her current body of work explores forests, coastlines, and landscapes of California and Hawaii as visual sanctuaries -- places where light and nature invite reflection and calm stillness.
A multifaceted creative, she also expresses herself through Krump, a powerful street dance that contrasts the stillness of her art. Her creative energy is fueled by her faith, and the places and communities she loves.
If you're interested in her other creative endeavors, follow her other account on instagram @climcarlson
Honors and Awards
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Refuge, 20"x24", 1st Place People's Choice, Los Gatos Art Association Members Juried Show, Feb 2026
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Refuge, 20"x24", 1st Place People's Choice, Step into Santa Cruz 2025 Members’ Exhibition, Nov-Dec 2025
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Evening Cast, 2.5"x3.5", 1st Place, 2025 Wee Art Open, California Art Supplies; San Mateo, CA; Sept 2025
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When We Are Gold, 3"x4". Honorable Mention, 2025 International Miniature Show, Parklane Gallery in Kirkland, WA; July 2025
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Shining Through, Merit Award, Olive Hyde Juried Memberships Show, Fremont CA; April-May 2025
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Henry Cowell Redwoods Glow No. 1, 1st Place, Milpitas Artwalk Contest, Juried and Community Voted, Sept 2023
Shows & Exhibitions
2026
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Silicon Valley Open Studios, May 2-3 in San Mateo, May9-10 in Palo Alto, May 16-17in San Jose, 2026
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The Hidden Community, Olive Hyde Gallery in Fremont, CA, April - May 2026
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Superfair, San Francisco, Mar 2026
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Refuge, Los Gatos Art Association Members Juried Show, Feb 2026
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Winter Morning Song, SVAA Exhibition: Shadows of Winter Light, Jan-Mar 2026
2025
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Becoming, 104th Anniversary Exhibition, Palo Alto Nov 2025-Jan 2026
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Refuge, Step into Santa Cruz 2025 Members’ Exhibition, Nov-Dec 2025
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Three works: Break; Breathe; Blessed, 2025 Winter Show of Small Works at Parklane Gallery in Kirkland, WA, Nov-Dec 2025
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Capitola Plein Air Festival, Capitola, CA, Nov 3-9, 2025
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Los Altos Rotary Club Fine Art in the Park, Aug 9-10, 2025
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How He Loves Us, The 2025 Greater Bay Area Open Competition and Exhibition at New Museum Los Gatos, Aug-Oct 2025
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Strolling Through Light in Muir Woods, 94th Annual Statewide California Landscape Exhibition at Santa Cruz Art League, July-Aug 2025
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When We Were Gold at 2025 International Miniature Show at Parklane Gallery in Kirkland, WA, July 2025
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A Day at Henry Cowell at Pacific Art League Members Exhibit, Palo Alto May-June 2025
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Silicon Valley Open Studios, May 2025
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Henry Cowell Redwoods Glow No.1, Henry Cowell Redswoods Glow No.2, Shining Through at Olive Hyde Juried Memberships Show, April-May 2025
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Peace, Light and Nature Solo Exhibit at Milpitas Phantom Art Gallery, Oct 2024 - Jan 2025
2024
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Palo Alto Festival of the Arts (Juried), Aug 2024
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Silicon Valley Open Studios, May 2024
2023
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626 Night Markets, May & July 2023
2022
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Pruneyard Holidays Fair, November 2022
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626 Night Markets, May & July 2022