KRISTI HAINES HERMAN
Artist
Houston, Texas
As an abstract painter, Kristi Haines Herman, uses her artwork to execute ideas and two-dimensional environments that create an emotional experience for the viewer. Her paintings are inspired by personal involvements and reactions to them. Phrases and words ruminate in her mind and slowly turn into abstracted figures that convey her inner thoughts. Haines Herman is highly influenced by movement as her artistic expression due to many years in dance. Movement is depicted through various gestural lines, shapes, and texture which allow the audience to venture through the canvas; thus a visual dance from one edge to another on the painting’s surface.
Ballet was Haines Herman’s first love in the art world, starting at age five. She learned to use body movement as an outward expression which allowed her to explore various audience reactions. This would later correlate with her artwork. In her late teens, dance and visual art would intertwine with time on stage as well as painting for expression. Gradually, visual art became her primary artistic avenue.
Haines Herman attended Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, where she majored in studio art under professors Frank Hobbs and Polly Dixon. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of Texas at Austin. During her studies at UT, she was encouraged and challenged by many talented art professors, including Michael Mogavero, John Yancey and David Deming. Upon graduation, Haines Herman also acquired a certification in art education for grades Pre-K through 12. She taught visual art in various schools ranging from 80-1100 students while continuing to sell her paintings in her free time. A career transition took her into fashion for many years, along with home interiors. However, visual art expression has always remained within her. After missing time painting, Haines Herman returned to her canvases to continue her career in the visual art world, finding true fulfillment in creating impassioned works of art.
Kristi Haines Herman’s paintings can be found in various private and corporate collections in the United States.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My artwork is a personal haven for processing visceral responses, ranging from joy to sorrow. I extend this same sense of refuge to the viewer, providing a space that fosters the unburdening of one’s deepest thoughts, free from judgment or inhibitions.
Due to my background in dance, I visualize figures depicting emotions through body movement. I understand how the human form can be contorted and shaped to serve as a powerful means of expression. Variations of deconstructed figures simplified into amorphic shapes and gestural marks are used in my paintings. Canvases contain multiple brushstrokes and paint layers, creating tension and visual movement, juxtaposed against tranquil areas with less texture and minimal lines. This balance invites viewers to visually wander through the work, finding respite in calm areas.
Additionally, I use abstraction to privatize my notions, as literal representation feels too vulnerable and exposed. By depicting only hints of meaning, the audience forms its interpretations. My work sparks personal connections, offering viewers an interactive and emotional experience. This reciprocation nurtures a sense of validation, progress, fortitude, and hope, within the intimate two-dimensional environment.
CURRICULUM VITAE
b. 1972, Houston, Texas
Studio. Houston, Texas
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
1990-92 Mary Baldwin College, Staunton, Virginia
EXHIBITIONS
2024 Group Exhibition, Reeves Art + Design, Houston, Texas
2024 Visual Arts Alliance 40th Juried Membership Exhibition, Redbud Arts Center, Houston, Texas
Juror: Tanja Peterson, Redbud Arts Center, Houston, Texas
2024 Visual Arts Alliance 40th Juried Open Exhibition, The Jung Center, Houston, Texas
Juror: Kerry Inman, Inman Gallery, Houston, Texas - 3 paintings selected
2023 6th Annual Juried Abstract Art Show, Hardy and Nance Studios, Houston, Texas
1996-97 Group Show, New Land Gallery, Sugar Land, Texas
AFFILIATIONS
Reeves Art + Design, Houston, Texas
Artsy
1stDibs
Mecox Gardens, Houston, Texas
Davenport Design, Houston, Texas
Visual Arts Alliance, Houston, Texas
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2024 Artist Presentation, Presbyterian School, Museum District Class, The Jung Center, Houston, Texas
2008 Art Educator - Summer Art Enrichment and Long-Term Substitute,
Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, Houston, Texas
2004-05 Art Educator, Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District, Houston, Texas
1995-99 Art Educator, Fort Bend Independent School District, Sugar Land, Texas
COLLECTIONS
First United Mortgage Group, Houston, Texas
First United Mortgage Group, The Woodlands, Texas
Enterprise Holdings, Dallas, Texas
Private Collections, United States