If you had told Kristine Disney ten years ago that she would be spending most of her days painting, she wouldn’t have believed you.
Throughout her life, others called Disney an artist, a label that she only now claims. She remembers doodling as a child and considered art her favorite class. She aced her college pottery class. Still, she took the advice of her parents, who believed studying art would be an impractical path.
Throughout her eclectic career, Disney held positions including federal probation officer, drug and alcohol counselor in a long-term facility for adolescents and technical writer in the tech industry. She’s always had an eye for color and a “wild creative streak,” which she was able to use when she worked in the interior design industry. She also worked in the art world while serving on an art council and an art museum board.
When she moved to Colorado in 1994, she promised herself she would start making her own art. She began taking affordable classes through Colorado Free University. She studied sculpture with Jefferson Rubin. She took pottery classes. Despite her fellow classmates urging her to devote her time to becoming an artist, the title still didn’t fit. She poured her creative efforts into her home and yard.
Disney worked as a yoga instructor until the pandemic paused her classes. She picked up a paint-by-number kit. She was proud of her painting. When she got it framed, the framer asked her why she was framing something that “wasn’t a real work of art.” For the next three winters, Disney completed more paint-by-number paintings.
during a course with artist Peggy Judy. PHOTO BY KRISTINE
DISNEY
As more people in her life continued to call Disney an artist, she’d finally had enough. She searched for an oil painting teacher. She learned early that some teachers were encouraging; others fed into her imposter syndrome. During a drawing class, one instructor advised her she should try doing something else.
“That derailed me for many years,” Disney said. “Man, they say the wrong thing, and that can just shut down your creativity. I try to find teachers that are a little more welcoming because I’m my own worst critic.”
Encouraging teachers like Ian Rumley from Singularity Tattoo imparted important lessons, like not needing to superimpose a style onto your art but instead letting it emerge naturally.
Classmates in Western artist Peggy Judy’s class called Disney “Paint by Number.” After seeing the painting of a horse Disney completed, her first without the help of a kit, the class took back their nickname.
Disney outfitted her basement into an art studio. She listened to podcasts on subjects ranging from politics to the occult while she painted—her rescue dog Daisy at her feet. She could easily spend all day in her studio, taking breaks only to walk Daisy.
Themes emerged in her paintings. She enjoyed capturing the faces of horses and their large, expressive eyes. She used vibrant colors in her landscape paintings of Colorado and western Kansas, where she grew up.
She painted tribute portraits of pets who had passed away and created painted renditions of photographs taken by professional photographers. She also painted interesting people she met while traveling.
“I want to paint something that people, when they look at it, either get happy or feel a sense of peace,” Disney said.
Her art has been included in two shows at Russell Wilbar’s ArtCentric art gallery and frame shop.
Disney still struggles with imposter syndrome but knows the lifecycle a piece of art can take. Sometimes the best course of action is to let a painting sit for a couple of months before revisiting it. Sometimes it goes in the trash.
“Every painting goes through an ugly phase,” Disney said. “I’m just trying to get an idea for where everything goes, and then I’ll come back. That’s what I like about oil painting because you can do so many layers. If you don’t like something, you can paint over it.”
One painting won’t necessarily be like the rest. Some take only four sessions, and they’re done.
“My advice would be if you have a stinker, keep going because the next one might paint itself,” Disney said.
Reflecting on her life, Disney is happy she now spends her time painting and is finally growing more comfortable calling herself an artist. She thinks back to the people along the way who saw her passion before she was able to claim it herself.
“If you hear from three people, you better turn around and look at your ass because that’s the universe trying to tell you something,” Disney said.
She enjoys reading books like “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho and “Greenlights” by Matthew McConaughey. Both encourage the pursuit of finding a life purpose and heeding the positive signs along the way.
“If you’re getting green lights, you’re on the right path, and if there aren’t, then maybe you should rethink,” Disney said. “Why beat your head? Life is hard enough as it is.”
Disney’s paintings can be purchased on her website, kristinedisney.com/gallery.
