1981             Foundation year Brighton School of Art 

1982-1986    BA Visual Communication and Design, Sydney College of the Arts 

1986-2000   Worked as a freelance illustrator London, UK

                   Studied painting at Heatherly School of Fine Art, Chelsea

2002            Return to Sydney and start painting part time

2004            Taught Illustration at Enmore School of Design

                   Exhibited, Allynbrook Art Show, Gresford 

2005            Exhibited, Allynbrook Art Show, Gresford

                   St Thomas Art Show, Willoughby

                   Queenwood - Vision 2 Art Show, Mosman

                   Balmain Art Show, Balmain

                   Solo Exhibition Swerve Cafe, Mosman

2006            Exhibited, Thomas Art Show, Willoughby

                   Queenwood, Vision 3 Art Show, Mosman

                   Balmain Art Show, Balmain

                   Riverview Art Show, Riverview

                   Frances Keevil Gallery Double Bay

2007            Riverview Art Show

                   Frances Keevil Gallery, Double bay

                   Glen Street Gallery group exhibition, Belrose
                   Finalist Paddington Art Prize

2009           Frances Keevil Gallery

                  Finalist Paddington Art Prize

                  Awarded the COFA UNSW Prize for printmaking                                             

Kristen’s formal education in art began at Brighton School of Art in the UK where she studied illustration. Later in Sydney, she studied at Sydney college of the arts, successfully completing a BA in Visual Communication and Design.

After graduating, she illustrated childrens books for authors such as Robin Klein and Margaret Wilde before returning to the UK.

In London, Kristen spent fourteen years working as a successful illustrator with high profile clients such as British Airways and Barclays Bank, illustrating anything from promotional brochures to packaging for food and wine.

During this time she discovered ‘paint’ at Heatherley Art School in Chelsea….this is where her interest in painting began. Kristen works mainly in oil and acrylic on wood and canvas, and is greatly influenced by the Australian landscape. Particularly that of the Hunter Valley region of NSW. 

‘After so many years in the in the UK, I was struck by the harshness of light resulting in almost bleached flat colour, with very dark areas of contrast within the shadows. This creates a variety of abstract shapes within the environment, from the tangle of bush to solitary gums casting strange shapes on bleached hillsides.’