Calina Franzosa, Alexandria, Virginia

calinafranzosa.com

Calina Franzosa lives and paints in Alexandria, VA. She paints outside and in studio 340 at The Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria.

Calina was born in 1981 in Santa Cruz, California. She graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with bachelor’s degrees in art and English. Calina also earned her Masters of Education at the University of California at Santa Cruz after which, she became a high school English teacher. The practical profession of teaching won out over a career in the visual arts. But in 2015 a head injury on the job brought her back to her true passion, painting. 

In 2016, Calina began painting again, creating drawings and oil paintings, in her studio and en plein air. She states, “I’ve always been a daydreamer and painting lets me hangout in those daydreams a little longer. I love being outdoors and experiencing nature, but the moments are fleeting; painting is how I can stop time, freeze a moment, and preserve it. When I find a scene that moves me, I enjoy figuring out how to create that same reaction on the canvas. My paintings focus on creating a sense of space, tranquility, and nostalgia.” 

Calina loves to travel both internationally and around the United States. Travel affords her the opportunity to experience different cultures and landscapes. She enjoys bringing these experiences to her studio practice, painting both from studies done on location and her reference photos.  As Calina explains it, “As an avid traveler I find myself attracted to the everyday scenes that make places both unique and familiar. My traditional oil paintings capture the scapes: land, sea, city, and sky. Whether it be an intimate landscape or an epic vista; give me the great outdoors!”