About
As a child, I was influenced by my grandfather, Rasmus Christiansen, a well known painter and illustrator in Denmark. He died before I was born, but his paintings, drawings and illustrations inspired me to become an artist and to major in Fine Arts at CSULB where I earned a B.A, M.A. and Secondary Ed Credential. During a textile design class I discovered batik, a medium that expanded my imagination anew and inspired me to work in ways I never imagined using traditional western media.
I am Professor Emeritus, Art, CSUF.
batik
The process of batik using multiple layers of melted wax (or other resist) for creating images on fabric goes back to prehistoric times. The batik process liberated my imagination and experimental side. It was the perfect fit for me and set the direction for my artistic career. Over time, I have developed my own personal process of alternating wax and paining with dyes until the image is complete and the silk covered with wax. The wax is removed by ironing fabric between sheets of tissue paper and then setting the dies by steaming. The dyes are painted on to the silk using watercolor techniques or sometimes sprayed or spattered for more textured effects.
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In "Tangled", watercolor painting on Yupo synthetic paper, I combined my studies of coral tree branches to illustrate the serpentine profusion of them.
Batik paintings and watercolor paintings
Selected Exhibitions and Publications
SOLO/JOINT SHOWS
2018 Expo Gallery, solo exhibit
2016 "Shimmer" El Dorado Nature Center, Long Beach, CA
2015 "Flora", Long Beach Playhouse
1996 Palos Verdes Art Center, “Air California”, Palos Verdes, California.
1995 Joint Show, “Stephen Werlick - Bronzes and Watercolors, Dorte Christjansen -Batiks and Watercolors”, Biola University, LaMirada, California.
1994 Joint Show, “Stephen Werlick - Bronzes and Watercolors, Dorte Christjansen - Batiks and Watercolors” , Point Loma Nazarene College, San Diego, California.
1992 Horror Vacuii, Forbes Hall Gallery, Santa Monica, California
1983 Twenty-nine Palms Art Gallery, Twenty-nine Palms, California
1982 Four Oaks Gallery, Pasadena, California. Also 1981, 1980, 1978, 1976.
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2024: Greenly Art Space
2023: Group Show, Long Beach Playhouse
Long Beach Open Studio Tour
2022 "Annual Show" Rod Briggs Memorial Gallery, Long Beach CA
Long Beach Open Studio Tour
2020 “Transparency” LBCG Gallery, Long Beach, CA
Group show, Greenly Art Space
2019 Long Beach Creative Group Annual Exhibit, LBCG/Rod Briggs Memorial Gallery, Long Beach, CA
2019 Hosun House, Tustin, CA
2018 "Home" Greenly Art Space, LBCG Exhibit Greenly Art Space, Portfolio
2017 “5 LB painters” LBCG Portfolio Gallery “Pure Nature” Long Beach Creative Group, LB Playhouse
2016 " Properties of Imagination,” Liberty Gallery, Long Beach, CA. "Trees” Group show, Greenly Art Space, Signal Hill, Ca.
2015-20 Mid City Open Studio Tour, Long Beach, CA. "Blue" Greenly Art Space,
Long Beach, CA
2011-20 Annual: Long Beach Open Studio Tour
2014 "On Silvered Wings", Greenly Art Space, Long Beach, CA "Relative Aperture" " " "
2013 “The Space Between Reality and Illusion”, The Center Gallery, Long Beach, Ca.
2012 “No Regrets 2012 Faculty Show, Begovich Gallery, CSUF
2010 “Best” National Invitational Exhibition at Crussell Fine Arts, Orange, California
“Founding Faculty” Faculty show opening the Begovitch Gallery, CSU
2008 Faculty Show, CSUF
2006 Faculty Show, CSUF
1991 – 2005 Eileen Kremen Gallery Annual Anniversary Show, Fullerton, Ca
2004 Faculty Show, CSUF
KOCE-TV’s Butterfly Initiative raised money for the arts and sciences in Orange County
1997 Long Beach Arts, Honorable Mention, “Invitational Crafts Exhibit”, Adrian Saxe, juror.
1996 “Gallery 825 1995 Open”, Los Angeles, California, Kent Twitchell, juror.
1995 “92nd National Open”, Long Beach Arts, Henry Hopkins, juror.
1992 “P.C.A. Registry Exhibition”, Long beach, California
1992 “Reflections of Working Women in Graphic Design”, Los Angeles City Hall Rotunda and Bridge Gallery, Los Angeles, California
1990 “Evocative Object”, University Art Gallery, CSU Hayward
1990 , “Artists in Academe” Faculty Show California State University, Fullerton
1989 Golden West College fine Arts Gallery, “Twelve and Under, Selected Small Images”, Huntington Beach, California
1989 Long Beach Art Association, “82nd Open Juried Exhibit”, Henry Hopkins, juror
1985 Salem Academy, “After Her Own Image”, Winston Salem, North Carolina
1980 “New Batik” Downey Museum of Art, Downey, California
1978 Rental Gallery, Newport Harbor Art Museum
1977 - 1981 Rental Gallery, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
1975 - 1982 Represented by the Four Oaks Gallery, Pasadena, California
1972 “Introductions”, Downey Museum of Art, Downey, California
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:
Lee and Nicholas Begovich
Downey Museum of Art, Downey, California
Rancho Alamitos, Long Beach, CA
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:
Mr. and Mrs. B. Hawkins, Tina Vince, Patricia Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. D. Zand, Mr. and Mrs. T. Marsh, Mr. and Mrs. W. Heaton, Mr. and Mrs. K. Kauppi, Mr. Abu Bekka, Ms.Tracy Raetz, Ms. Pamela Seager, Anne Walsh, Mr. and Mrs. G. Padgett, Claudia Randle, Mr. and Mrs. L. Lunt, Mrs. Joan Genn Caseres, Moira Hahn, Diane Manson, Diana Barnes,
Tina Vince, Mr. and Mrs. J. Meintjes, Moira Hahn, Christa Stelzmuller and DJ Stansfield, Stephen Best
PUBLICATION
1999 Exploring Visual Design, Gatto, Joseph; Porter, Albert; Selleck, Jack, Third Edition, Davis Publications Inc.
1997 International Textilkunst, double page spread and full back page spread 1995 Silk Painting for Fashion and Fine Art, Susan Louise Moyer Watson-Guptil publications, New York.
1995 Long Beach Press Telegraph, review of “92nd National Open” by Shirle Gottlieb
1992 Collectibles Magazine,
January/February
1986 Exploring Visual Design, Gatto, Joseph; Porter, Albert; Selleck, Jack, Second Edition, Davis Publications Inc.
1982 Porter, Albert, Expressive Watercolor Techniques, Davis Publications
1980 The Fiber Arts Design Book, Hastings House Publishers, New York
1979 Dyer, Caroline, review, Fiber Arts Volume 6, No. 2, Mar/Apr.
Exploring Visual Design, Gatto, Joseph; Porter, Albert; Selleck, Jack, Davis Publications Inc.
1977 Dyer, Caroline, review, Visual Dialogue, Vol. 3, No. 2, Winter
1966 Albert Porter, The Art of Sketching, Davis Publications
INTERNET
dortechristjansen.com
Facebook, Instagram, Saatchi Art, Society 6, Redbubble
Huffington Post, blog about studio and home by photographer Bonnie McCarthy, 2012
Blog, Orange County Register: Begovitch Gallery Event at CSUF, April, 2010
“Local Watercolor and Batik Artist’s Gardening Work Inspires Her Pieces”
SignalTribune, also January, 2013, January, June, October, 2015, Long Beach Press Telegram, Long Beach Post, 2020
Sunrise Reflections