After moving to San Diego six years ago, Krista Schumacher chose to expand her painting, taking it from full-time teacher to professional artist.

The end result is her celebration of the second anniversary of Krista Schumacher Art Gallery on Sept. 1 from 4-7 p.m. at 1113 Wall St. in La Jolla.

In 2017, Schumacher started laser-focusing on painting, releasing her debut palette-knife collection. She has since received numerous awards and collaborated with multiple corporations including Ferrari, Paramount Studios, and Hilton.

“A lot of my work is inspired by local landscapes and scenes,” said the artist/gallery owner, noting she negotiated the leap from instructor to crafts person by “pursuing studio work full-time, doing commissions, and giving it a go. And it was very well received.”

Initially starting out as a six-month “pop-up gallery,” Schumacher’s homegrown business has since morphed into her career calling. “It was a really big step for me as a young artist,” admitted  Schumacher crediting her mom, Kathy, as her lifelong muse.

A military brat, Schumacher moved often until her family settled in Niceville, Fla. At 16, her interest in art began when her mom took a painting class. Eager to be just like her mother, Schumacher started her art journey. To this day, Schumacher and Kathy continue to collaborate in their careers, as mother-daughter palette knife artists.
“My Florida-based mom and I do different collaborations, collections, together working on the same canvas at the same time,” noted Schumacher. “She comes out to California often.”

“This is so unique and so special,” said Schumacher of her collaborations with her mom. “There are very few (other) people who can relate to my work as she is also a studio artist. It is great to have her encouraging and guiding me along the way.”

Schumacher noted her mom’s subject range “varies a lot” adding “She does a lot of floral work.”

Schumacher said she and her mom are planning to release yet another mother-daughter collection. “The theme is going to be iconic San Diego,” Schumacher said adding, “I absolutely love this city: It feels like home. So this will really be a tribute to the iconic landscapes and landmarks that make San Diego San Diego. This collection will have 19 paintings.”

Schumacher is looking forward to September. “It’s (anniversary’s) going to be really fun,” she said. “We’ll be serving drinks and having live music and people can come and see our paintings from this (new) collection.”

At kristaschumacherart.com, it is noted that Schumacher’s “hyper-positivity and vivacious energy shine through in each of her paintings. Connecting her lifelong love for the ocean and her unique palette knife style, the results are truly dynamic contemporary coastal landscapes. With a large collector base across the United States and internationally, Schumacher revels in seeing her art bring joy to others.”

Of her painting, Schumacher said: “I specialize in landscapes and abstract work. My style is very unique, heavy-textured oil painting completed only with palette knives. So there is a lot of energy, a lot of movement.”

Her paintings themselves are also unique, noted Schumacher adding “They take a few months to dry on drying racks they’re so thick before I can really install them or shop them.”

Krista Schumacher Art Gallery is open Friday evenings and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. “I do private showings during the week,” said Schumacher who thanked La Jollans for opening themselves to her gallery and her work.

“Since moving here, La Jollans have taken me under their wing,” she concluded. “The locals, they have truly supported me every step of the way.”

KRISTA SCHUMACHER ART GALLERY

Where: 1113 Wall St.

Hours: Fridays 4-7 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Contact: kristaschumacherart.com.