I'm Kristen Wagner, an abstract artist based in Santa Barbara, California.

After years working in tech, I stepped away from corporate life to return to what had always been calling me - creating. Painting became a way to slow down, trust my intuition, and reconnect with myself.

Santa Barbara has deeply shaped the way I see the world. The changing coastal light, fog filled mornings, mountain landscapes, and quiet beauty of everyday moments continue to influence my work. Rather than painting what I see, I'm interested in capturing what a place feels like - it’s atmosphere, rhythm, and emotional presence.

My process begins with intuition. Music sets the tone, and I rarely start with a fixed plan. Each painting unfolds through a conversation between emotion, movement, memory, and the materials themselves.

Working with layers of paint, ink, molding paste, plaster, mineral pigments, wax, sand, and organic fibers, I create richly textured surfaces that carry a sense of time and history. I build up, scrape back, and reveal what lies beneath, allowing each layer to become part of the story.

I hope my work creates a sense of calm and curiosity - a moment to slow down, look a little longer, and connect with something that can't always be put into words. If a painting continues to reveal something new each time you return to it, then it has done exactly what I hoped it would.