Charisse Abellana
Why did you decide to pursue a career in the Visual Arts?
I am an American Filipino and very proud and blessed to be the product of both cultures…polar opposites, diverse but both rich in substance. I was born and raised in the Philippines, its culture influenced by the native aborigines, native Filipinos, Spain and United States. My Filipino roots taught me the closeness and value of family and extended families, the passion and heat of the Latin culture. My American life taught me the beauty of the nuclear family, the strength that can be drawn from being “the individual”, and the life true freedom can bring. With all these, I metamorphosed into this human being that I love and am now very comfortable with.
Aside from painting, which is my passion, I save lives as a practicing Clinical Laboratory Scientist. I practice yoga. Above all these, I have my unwavering faith in a being bigger than my human self…God. I used to say that I live every day of my life like it will be my last. Now I live my life clinging to nothing. I live my life with arms outstretched forever grateful. I live my life in peace with my two beautiful daughters, my love, my art and my God.
International Master Artist® Candidate
Artist Statement
Charisse Abellana is a person of innumerable interests. Charisse once believed that she would "Live Life as if Everyday is Her Last" Now, she firmly believes in the philosophy "Live Life Clinging to Nothing".
Your specialties?
I can work with all kinds of medium…pastels, watercolor, charcoal, ink on paper, mixed media. However, I am infatuated with oil! When I first used it, I knew oil on canvas is my medium of choice. I love the fluidity and the surprise of painting wet on wet. By painting wet on wet, there is that very thrilling element of surprise, and the layers and layers of paint make it more exhilarating. I love painting the sides of the thick canvas because viewing it from the side is also art in itself. Once I am done, the painting is a finished piece of art, with or without a frame.
Aside from painting, which is my passion, I save lives as a practicing Clinical Laboratory Scientist. I practice yoga. Above all these, I have my unwavering faith in a being bigger than my human self…God. I used to say that I live every day of my life like it will be my last. Now I live my life clinging to nothing. I live my life with arms outstretched forever grateful.
I love the fluidity and the surprise of painting wet on wet. By painting wet on wet, there is that very thrilling element of surprise, and the layers and layers of paint make it more exhilarating. I love painting the sides of the thick canvas because viewing it from the side is also art in itself. Once I am done, the painting is a finished piece of art, with or without a frame.
I was trained to mix my own colors, thanks to my mentor. While training to do so, it took a while for me to get it. I would go home crying because “I could not get it.” Then one day, my patience, persistence and practice paid off. By mixing my own colors, I can put on canvas the beauty of the colors only I could imagine and know in my mind. I also knew from the time I picked up a palette knife that I am a palette knife artist. And I have always been. Palette knife paintings are thick, bold, unexpected, almost irreverent in its randomness. But there is always that moment of emotional upheavals every time I put a stroke. The paint thus becomes a sculptural element on canvas.
Charisse Abellana
United States of America
