Christy Wright

acrylic, mixed media, collage

In the art world there’s a term, pareidolia, that is the tendency for perception to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually visual, so that one sees an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none (Yes, I copied that definition straight from Google. I’m an artist, not a rocket scientist). I used to get really upset when people would tell me they saw a sailboat or a house or whatever in my paintings. Then I realized that I really don’t care. I can’t control what others perceive in my work. They are not going to know those white blobs are the sheep I saw on a trip to Ireland. Or that those pink splotches are a response to a day I was feeling very isolated and lonely. Their brains are going to impose their own interpretations onto my work. So now when I paint, I paint for myself, strictly for my own enjoyment. My subjects can be as varied as a trip I took out West with my husband, a color I am particularly drawn to that day, or merely a craving for a cup of hot chocolate. When I create art, I’m not trying to change anyone’s world except my own, but if I can help a viewer see the world differently or feel understood, then I’m both thrilled and humbled by art’s power to connect us all.

Artist Bio

Christy Vacca Wright grew up in Statesville, NC and received a BA in English from Davidson College. She had been told since fourth grade that she would be an author, so she grew up believing that one day she would write the next Great American Novel. An embarrassing number of unfinished manuscripts later, Christy became a graphic designer and has worked in the industry for over twenty years.
For her fiftieth birthday, her son gave her a Bob Ross paint set. She’s still not sure whether it was a joke or if he really meant for her to paint some “happy little trees.” She discovered she loved the paintbrush more than the pen, and she’s been painting colorful abstract artwork ever since.

Christy’s work has appeared in shows at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, Hillsborough Art Council Gallery in Hillsborough, NC, Golden Belt in Durham, NC and Peel Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC. She lives and paints in Chapel Hill, NC.