“I should warn you that I think in color, not in words.” This was Cristine Kossow’s fair warning to her future husband in the first five minutes of their first date.
That date, and her whole life, unfolded alongside the Hudson River — except for a six-year hippie hiatus on a farm in Maine. Thinking, and dreaming, in color, is the essence of her artist’s statement.
Her whimsical signature is to punctuate work with a sneaky dash of her beloved periwinkle. On the other hand, Cris had a bitter feud with red for decades; but this past summer, at the urging of a bumper crop of tomatoes, called an emotional truce and began a cascade of red musings that, in hindsight, mystifies her. What blindness led to such an awakening? Words fail — yet again.
When not battling large rodents who wrongly presume that her Hastings-on-Hudson garden is theirs, Kossow settles into a rhythm of pastels, dog walks, deep friendships, missions to Malawi, Africa, playing hammer dulcimer, and more pastels.
She is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, and a member of Connecticut Pastel Society, with recent shows at the Garrison Art Center and Trinity Gallery, Lime Rock, Conn.
After a career in graphic design, it was time to return to her first love of painting. She is grateful to be on exhibition at Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill, 91 Main St., Cold Spring. Call 845-265-5582. All works available for sale. Except maybe the tomatoes.
