Silent Perceptions: An artful mind pursues beauty

A childhood illness involving spinal meningitis led to Christy Works-Boutte’s loss of hearing at the tender age of one. Some say her rapid artistic development can be attributed to the obstacles she had to overcome. “It is something that I have had to deal with my entire life, and it has helped shape me into the unique artist that I am today,” she says.

The Gretna native graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, where she became the school’s first deaf student to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Since then, her career has blossomed.

The owner of Art by Christy Gallery and Framing on the Westbank, Works-Boutte is best known for the many posters she has created for Louisiana festivals, most recently the 2011 New Orleans Wine and Food Experience. This year’s poster theme was “Farmer’s Market Fresh.”

“Naturally, I wanted to include fresh Louisiana ingredients in the poster,” she says. “The NOWFE directors also asked if I could incorporate some French Quarter architecture as well, which is where the idea of the old produce truck came in. The truck is really special to me because my grandmother, who passed away in February of this year, had a produce truck just like the one I used. This poster is dedicated to you, Maw Maw.”

This year’s NOWFE poster marks the third consecutive year that Works-Boutte has been selected as the artist. Her first poster for NOWFE in 2009 was the first sold-out limited edition poster.

Other organizations Works-Boutte has created artwork for include the 2011 Crescent City Classic poster and this year’s Terrytown Spring Festival poster. In June, she released the 2011 poster for the International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo to be held July 28-30. It was her fourth consecutive year as the poster artist and depicts the return of the rodeo after last year’s event was cancelled due to the BP Gulf oil spill.

In October, Works-Boutte will unveil the artwork for her ninth consecutive poster for the Gretna Heritage Festival. “This event means a lot to me as this organization gave me my first shot and venue to show my work on a relatively large scale,” she says.

“Many of the festivals that ask me to create a poster for them have an idea of the main elements that they would like to incorporate. Many times, it is something similar to fleur-de-lis, musical instruments, and a local landmark,” Works-Boutte asserts. “I find a way to incorporate them together in a composition that is pleasing to look at and makes people happy. That is why I love being an artist. My job is ultimately about making people happy.”

Among the many Louisiana artists who have inspired Works-Boutte through the years are James Michalopoulos and George Rodrigue. Like Michalopoulos, her richly textured paintings are most frequently accomplished with a palette knife and oil paint. “I love mixing, moving, and massaging the oils around the canvas like cake frosting.” Works-Boutte developed her palette knife technique while attending the Ringling College of Art and Design.

Her vibrant style is sometimes Impressionistic, but mostly Expressionistic. “The difference between the two is that Expressionism is from a subject’s point of view and distorts reality in order to evoke emotion. Take my music-themed posters, for example. Since visually the music does not exist, I am distorting reality to create the emotion of hearing the music. The 2011 New Orleans Wine and Food Experience poster would perhaps be more Impressionistic, since the piece focuses more on light, colors, perspective, and real world objects.”

Some of Works-Boutte’s recent shows have included a solo exhibition titled “in-TREE-gued” at the Rodrigue Gallery inside the New Orleans Sheraton. The show included paintings of the artist’s Mardi Gras trees that seem to come alive on canvas, with their many layers of colorful beads and dramatic representation of the trees’ root systems below. “At the current price point, I am having trouble keeping up with the requests,” she admits.

Some of her most requested commissions are the seafood paintings, which can be seen at various New Orleans restaurants but are also owned by private collectors. Several of these works appeared in Chef John Folse’s Cajun cookbook, Hooks, Lies, and Alibis.

Other works can be found on display at the PK Gallery located at 938 Royal Street, and the Astor Crowne Plaza on the corner of Bourbon and Canal Streets, where several of Works-Boutte’s iconic fleur-de-lis paintings are exhibited in the lobby. Of course, her Art by Christy Gallery on the Westbank has the largest selection of the artist’s works, including the newest paintings and posters. Meanwhile, Works-Boutte is currently at work on her first children’s book with her husband, Brock.

Works-Boutte is most inspired by the “sheer amount” of culture, music, food, and wildlife of Louisiana. “Inspiration is everywhere,” she says. “From my house in Old Gretna, I have access to the historic French Quarter, an abundance of festivals, bayous, wildlife, and tons of great restaurants. Most importantly, my family lives here. They are my biggest supporters and continue to encourage and inspire me to be the artist that I am today.”✦
artbychristy.com