Come Closer.
Observation is my first medium.
Everything begins by looking closer.
Paper, cloth, graphite, clay, and gathered specimens become studies of light, texture, form, and the quiet details of the natural world.
I have spent much of my life making things with my hands.
What began as drawing eventually led to stitching, bookbinding, eco-dying, printmaking, collecting, gardening, and keeping journals. Over time I realized they were never separate interests. They became different ways of studying the natural world.
I'm Cristina Zinnia Galliher. Today, I sketch, stitch, sculpt, bind books, eco-dye cloth and experiment, following observation wherever it leads. These are not necessarily steps toward finished artwork. They are studies: records of looking, testing and discovering.
After many years of creating and teaching mixed media art through Artful Gathering, I have returned to something very simple - the pleasure of looking closely and making with my hands.