CALLA KLESSIG SENTIĆ

What collectors are sAying:

 

“Calla is so gracious and patient with the process from payment-to shipping and the extra gift of her photograph was more than we could have asked for. 

 

Calla takes me on a journey. Not just the ones she actually makes to get inspiration for her artwork. A journey through seasons and changes and the depth of what she captures brings me into that place. It is so beautiful to look at the strokes of the brush and see what she has to share. It shows me something I can experience in a new way each time I look at the painting and the photo. 

 

Calla’s talent gives heart felt emotions and movement in the stillness.” 

 

-Margaret & Michael Glynn.  Sherman Oaks CA

 

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“Calla Klessig is a talented emerging artist. She is able to capture the emotion of the moment, whether it is a dramatic sky or beautiful vista, and her work reaches into your heart.  As a collector, I find Calla’s work both intimate and expressive.  Additionally, I am able to mix her work with other artists/pieces in my collection, including Tony Abeyta, Preston Singletary, Lorna Marsh and Allan Houser.  But, most importantly, I simply love living with Calla’s art!”

 

-Private Collector. Santa Fe, NM

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“I was struck by Calla’s artistry when I was drawn in by her masterful control of color and color combinations; I found her color palette inviting, natural, and entrancing—almost inviting me to step into the painting, sit down in the grass and enjoy a sip of tea while resting in the wild nature of Calla’s landscapes...  I admire Calla’s boldness to draw out, pun not intended, the wild in me, and to invite me—each time I rest from my busy life in the presence of her paintings—to pause, and smell the proverbial roses, just by observing the interplay of her masterful control of color and emotional impact her paintings bring.”

 

-Private Collector. Santa Fe, NM

 

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CALLA KLESSIG SENTIĆ BIOGRAPHY:

Known for her use of color and texture, the first thing one notes about artist Calla Klessig Sentić’s work is her deep love and reverence for the land, the sky and their inhabitants. Whether painting a forest, mountain, desert, or rural scene, the colors, textures, and movement in Calla’s work renders landscapes as she sees them, dreamscapes full of color, texture, and depth, capturing the emotion of standing in awe of these timeless vistas. Her latest collection of paintings are about a reconnecting with the natural world, with the elements, of returning to a deeper connection with the wilds of this beautiful world and the wild beings within ourselves. Calla’s landscapes capture not just a single moment but rather the wild spirit of these enduring landscapes. 

 

Using a thickly textured impasto style of impressionistic painting, Calla uses palette knife in her paintings to sculpt her landscapes, giving an impression of a three dimensional landscape barely contained by her two dimensional panels, creating a sense of depth and movement within her works.

 

Calla draws the inspiration for her works from her deep love of and connection to nature. Being out in nature has been the one true constant in her life, the place that both elevates and grounds her. In her works Calla strives to capture this connection, these emotions, this feeling of reverence and share it with others. A perpetual student of color and light, of the moods and vagaries of the weather, Calla gathers much of her inspiration from the extraordinary landscapes and dramatic weather she sees on her hikes, camping, backpacking and road trips throughout the Southwest and beyond.  

 

Originally a reference tool for her fine art and film work, photography grew into a passion in its own right, as another way to share her love of and connection to nature with others. A bit of a storm chaser, you can usually find Calla out in the deserts, mountains, and other varied ecosystems of New Mexico whenever there is inclement weather - where she took some of her favorite photos.

 

Showing artistic tendencies from a young age, Calla began oil painting at age 8, beginning her life long love of painting, art, and design. Later, a tour of a Television Show Set sparked an interest in production design for film. Art Direction being a 3 dimensional compositional counterpoint to her fine artworks, leading to a long and successful career in the Film Industry as an Art Director. 

 

Calla went to Baltimore, Maryland to attend the Maryland Institute, College of Art. There she received a BFA, majoring in Environmental design - a program that included the study of urban planning, architecture, interior architecture, landscape design, interior design, furniture design, and green design. While majoring in design Calla continued her studies in the fine arts with a concentration in painting.

 

Originally from the Los Angeles area of California, Calla took many trips to the Southwest until moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico to continue exploring and being inspired by the incredible landscapes of New Mexico and surrounding areas.

 

In 2022, after 17 successful years in the film industry Calla left her work in film to pursue her first love — painting — full time. Based in Santa Fe, NM, whenever she is not painting you can generally find Calla hiking, camping and getting out into nature in any way she can. She and her husband are currently enjoying designing and building their own custom teardrop camper to further their adventures in the outdoors with their pup River by their side, where Calla will continue to be inspired by the Wilds of this amazing world.

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