Austin, TX

“The relationship between the artist and their canvas is one of give and take. It is fluid. It requires the artist to be open to energy and a consciousness beyond themselves.” Chris Van Loan Sr. feels that this quote by author and artist Dr. Carl B. Gacono accurately describes his creative process. Chris is not completely sure what moves him to create art but he feels driven by a need to bring something unique into being that did not exist before.

His approach starts with a blank canvas, paint and paint tools (brushes, scrapers, palette knives, spatulas, and basically any object that he find that helps him create). He usually pours paint on to the canvas and then starts painting as inspiration moves him.

Being a musician (singer/guitarist) influences Chris’ art as he sometimes paints guitars that contain elements of abstraction. Chris has also studied Reiki and Tai Chi in the past, so the concept of movement and energy flow from those practices often come into play.

Creating art has become a meditative process and he finds that regardless of how tough or challenging his day has been, mentally or physically, he can almost always paint.

Chris feels that being an ArtLifting artist moves him closer to his goal of eventually becoming a full-time artist. He keeps the following quote by Rumi on the wall of his home studio, “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy”.