Christal Björk has been drawing since she was young…. Born in Concord MA, Bjork started taking art classes while in grade school.  She taught art at summer camp programs during high school and then studied art while at Holy Cross College.   Her creative journey started with pencil sketches, then portrait drawings in High school which included some time in Germany,  acrylics at Holy Cross College, pen and watercolor  and then finally pastels which she is has now focused on for 15 years.  Her present subject matter was born out of memorable trips while young with her German grandparents who took her each summer to Rockport, Gloucester and the Cape.  There she was fascinated with the colorful skiffs in the Rockport harbor, the serene marsh scenes and expansive strong oceanscapes.  A self taught pastelist, she started with this medium using the same Rembrandt pastels her grandfather gave her as a little girl. 

During her long term career in commercial finance she spent much of her free time doing commission works.  In the past four years she decided to focus exclusively professionally on art.  One can see her analytical skills come through in the detail of her paintings.  Her works are realistic yet her interpretation is unique capturing light during different times of the day and pushing the color palette in a beautiful and harmonious way.  The subject matter and her interpretation of it invoke a sense of happiness and peace…. triggering a quiet moment of joy.

Christal’s love for the outdoors and color inspire her each time she makes a painting.  Her favorite part of the process is creating the color palette and working the pastels with her fingers to create the rich depth of color that results from blending layers of pigment.   Her works are exhibited in New England galleries and she is currently doing paintings for pro Athletes and Senators.   She has earned a reputation among those familiar with her work as a talent that has a strong command of the pastel medium.  Christal grew up in Carlisle and currently resides and has her studio in Concord MA.