CHRIS BLOOM: PAINTING THE WORLD WITH JOY, COLOR, AND CONNECTION

For Chris Bloom, painting is more than a creative pursuit—it’s a deeply personal language, one spoken in color, texture, and form. With every brushstroke, she invites viewers into a world shaped by curiosity, optimism, and a relentless dedication to craft. Though once a high school writing teacher, Bloom found her true voice not in words, but in the rich, expressive world of oil painting. Self-taught and fueled by a passion for beauty both natural and man-made, she now shares her perspective through works that are as technically refined as they are emotionally resonant. Whether in her studio or painting en plein air on the streets of Paris, Bloom’s art is a celebration of connection—between artist and viewer, place and memory, moment and meaning.

Chris Bloom hopes that when people see her art, they see all the hard work and technique she applies to each of her paintings. “I want them to understand my visual language and be moved by the colors, the composition, the brushstrokes that are my own way of communicating with the world,” she emphasizes. Bloom loves interacting with viewers and buyers, as her primary goal as a painter is to share her paintings with the world. “Does it spark memories? How does it make them feel?” she asks, always interested in how others receive her work. Her own perspective is that her paintings are “peaceful, joyful, and even optimistic about the world we live in.”

At one point, before she began painting, Bloom was teaching writing to high school students. “I did not feel that writing was how I wanted to express myself in the world,” she recalls. “I wanted to explore the visual world and express what I saw and felt by painting.” Despite having no formal training in art, she had visited numerous museums and felt inspired by the great paintings within, which spoke to her like no other art form had before. Soon, she began taking classes at Cape Fear Community College. “A few days into oil painting, and I was hooked,” she reminisces, “but I also took drawing and design classes. Skill as an oil painter is a lifelong pursuit.” Since then, she has studied with recognized artists such as James Richards, Dan Beck, Joanne Geisel, John Poon, Christine Lashley, Duane Keiser and Kelli Folsom, among others.

“I love being an oil painter,” she says. “The paint itself, its buttery consistency, the vibrant colors. I experimented with brushes, palette knives, different panels, and canvas. I love both realistic and impressionistic painting, in my studio and out in the world.” Plein air paint-outs are one of her favorite ways to get outdoors and become “immersed in a subject—the light, the noise, the smell. I think it makes me a better painter to be in nature,” she adds, “whether it’s a garden, a seascape, or a street in Paris.” For Bloom, conversation with passers-by is also essential to the plein air experience. “It’s a wonderful way to share my work,” she remarks. she generally loves painting while traveling, which she describes as her “second passion.” Bringing artwork home from her travels is also important, and she and her husband have collected many pieces from Europe and Asia. Over the next few years, she hopes to travel, learn, and experiment, all while staying true to the subjects she knows and loves.

Chris Bloom is currently showing with Fine Art Local, a gallery in downtown Wilmington. To see more of her work, visit fineartlocal.com and chrisbloomfineart.com