POUR ARTIST

ARTIST

CMU GRAD JAMIE CHRISTINE FINDS SUCCESS IN ART

WORDS

PHOTOS & LAYOUT

ATHENA BALDO SARAH NOBLE

“You essentially freeze time in [an] art piece. This is exactly who you were at this time.” – Jamie Christine

Jamie Christine Copley, a Grand Junction artist and 2018 Colorado Mesa University graduate, has endeavored to make it not only as a local artist, but as a teacher and business professional within the Grand Valley.

“I actually wasn’t an artist at all before CMU,” Christine said. “I wanted to be, and I had no skill whatsoever. But I loved it, and so I was like, ‘I'm just going to go and see where it takes me.’”

Christine, also a photographer, initially went to CMU for a degree in entrepreneurship to help open her own photography business, before falling in love with art and changing her major to studio art. Thus began her journey as an acrylic pour artist.

“While studying the printmaking process, I really wanted to find my style and individuality as an artist. That is when I came across acrylic pouring and epoxy artwork,” Christine said. Acrylic pouring is a style of abstract art in which fluid acrylic paint is poured over a surface, resulting in a variety of patterns. “They have a very unique aesthetic that is unique to this medium. You can’t get the effects you get from acrylic pouring in any other media.”

As she started her studio and class work at CMU, Christine noticed she was becoming a perfectionist, and it started to weigh on her confidence. She found inspiration to break her habit of perfectionism through this form of abstract art.

“Both [acrylic pouring and epoxy artwork] don’t allow for much pre-planning,” she said. “This really helped me let go and build my self-confidence …. I mostly chose acrylic pouring as an art form because of the lack of control you have in it. It really requires you to let go and let the art create itself, and I thoroughly enjoy that and find it therapeutic.”

As a senior at CMU, Christine was taught how to make a business from art. But getting into galleries and selling her work proved to be difficult. Instead of depending on galleries to get her work into the gaze of the public, she partnered with local businesses like First Street Tattoo and New Athleisure and Apparel to display her art. And then, to build her revenue and connect with the community, she began teaching acrylic

pouring classes at parties and events, where she teaches step-by-step fluid painting with a variety of different methods, patterns and colors.

“The great thing about fluid paint is that anybody can do it; it’s all about the mixture,” Christine said. “They just get to mix colors, make a mess and have a good time.”

At the beginning of her classes, most people walk in with the mindset that they aren’t an artist and could never make incredible art. By the end, everyone leaves with beautiful paintings that they created themselves and smiles on their faces.

Of the thousands of paintings Christine has made, she doesn’t have a favorite. They have all meant something special to her in the moment she created them.

“You essentially freeze time in that art piece,” she said. “This is exactly who you were at this time. All these things come into place to make this art piece.”

In the future, Christine hopes to open her own pop-up gallery. She wants to make a local space for artists to show their work

without having to deal with fees or high commissions. But the gallery won’t just contain paintings – it will feature all things creative, from home decor to handmade art pieces.

“I truly just want to help facilitate the success of local makers in any way that I can and get their items seen by the right people so that they can pursue their dream of creating daily,” she said. “My vision for the gallery is truly to just bring the community together and help fill the gaps between the makers and their audience.” ▪