Christopher Myott

Artist Statement / Biography

I live and paint in Jaffrey, New Hampshire - the same small, post-industrial town that I grew up in. I am inspired by the people around me and the places they live and work. Growing up in a small two bedroom house with five sisters and one brother taught me to make the most out of my space, and I bring that same sensibility to my paintings. I intentionally surround myself with objects that I cherish and those objects find their way into my art in literal and abstract forms. Sometimes those objects are tools and plants, occasionally they’re motorbikes or a rediscovered box of baseball cards from my childhood. Other times I’m inspired by the process of making a painting and I create abstract compositions derived from the color palettes, shapes, and textures around me.
I primarily work with oil on panel. I use a palette knife to apply the paint then draw through it while it’s wet. I repeat this process for multiple layers, allowing several days of drying time between each new layer. Drawing into the wet paint lets me retain the same energy that's in my sketches. I work to develop a confident line and maintain an unedited drawing. Like a signature, I’m not interested in polishing away what makes the work uniquely mine. I then apply a beeswax finish in a process I honed during my time working as a furniture maker. This technique pulls the entire piece together, unifying the composition with the patina of age.
I find joy and fulfillment in the process of making. Every day I wake up early and I paint because it’s my life's work. Coming from a household of scarcity has given me an appreciation for the present and a fondness for the undervalued. My work is an effort to contribute to the conversation around the things we value as earnestly as possible.