About Christine Stokke


	Christine Stokke ‘s BIO

	I was born and raised on a farm in Roquecor, a small farming town in the South of France. There, the landscape is spectacular. In the summertime, you can see sunflowers everywhere. To me this is and always will be my heaven on Earth. I moved to Paris, to attend “l’Ecole Des Cadres” and graduated with a Business Degree. After graduation, I decided to stay and work in Paris where there is an abundance of museums, architecture and theaters. My first job was located facing the small version of the Statue of Liberty, in Paris It must have been a sign! I met and married my husband, a Norwegian, Geir, and moved to Oslo, Norway where I had to learn a new language. Norway is a beautiful country with incredible sceneries. I especially enjoy the view during the northern lights. Our two sons were born in Oslo. While in Norway I had a job as a Public Relation manager for L’Oreal, Parfums et Beaute. It was there that I developed a better understanding of color, design and shape. My husband’s career brought us to Roswell Ga. With the encouragement of Aagot Matson (a Norwegian Artist) I started Pastels. She also pushed me to start painting. Later I discovered the acrylic medium and I have been taking classes with different artists for the past seven years. I am partial to simple and colorful paintings. Of course I am inspired and influenced by the places where I have lived. I have always had this feeling that I belong to the place I wake up in the morning! You can see my work at “The two doors Art: studio and Gallery” in Roswell.

	The Statuesque Mannequins People often wonder, how mannequins became such an inspiration for my new collection of paintings. The inspiration came to me one day, as I stood gazing at three sewing mannequins. A flash memory came to me from my childhood in France. I remembered my mother sewing clothes for my sister, Veronique and I. Soon, I realized I was equating the Three mannequins that I was viewing to my mother Nicole, Veronique and myself. Inspired, I felt compelled to paint these mannequins in many different ways. The women in my family are the same in some aspects, and very different in others. Likewise, my mannequins are the same object, but I like to create their individual uniqueness by adding my personal touch of style, color, and light. The colors within represent their personalities. The statuesque appearance represents the strong eternal bond; much like the bond that unites the women in my family. Perhaps, living so far away from my family, this bond appears even stronger. Hence: "The Statuesque Mannequins". In some of the paintings I have added butterflies or dragonflies. I feel this addition brings to the feminine, mystic. They represent renewal, but also longevity. We are the same - We are unique - We are strong in our bond forever. -Fall 2008-