Kristi Warren’s paintings blend abstract art with realism, focusing heavily on vibrant color and strong composition. Working in oil, watercolor, and gouache, she naturally gravitates toward leaves and flowers, occasionally slipping in an insect or a whimsical element to catch your eye.

Kristi’s creative journey is rooted in a deep background in design. She studied drawing and photography at California College of the Arts in Oakland, majored in illustration and design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and earned her BS in Graphic Design from Sacramento State University. When the design industry moved from paper to computers, Kristi chose to leave the screen behind and return to her true love: physical paint.

Her process bridges careful planning with spontaneous intuition. She creates her designs by collaging her own reference photos, sketching out the concept before picking up a brush—though with oils, she often dives straight in with the paint. "In most cases, I follow my original drawing fairly closely," Kristi says. "But there are times I will deviate from the image in front of me and go where the painting is taking me. Sometimes this gets me into trouble, and other times it's when the magic happens."

Kristi’s work is exhibited in gallery shows throughout the Sacramento, California region and is available to view by appointment.