Blaine Chitwood

Blaine is a contemporary abstract painter whose journey began far from the studio. A former master stonemason from the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, his early years were shaped by the discipline of working with stone — a craft rooted in strength, structure, and permanence. That foundation of precision and physicality now informs his bold approach to painting.

After moving to Southern California, Blaine turned fully toward art, trading stone for canvas but carrying forward the same intensity of process. Using a masonry trowel in place of a traditional brush, he builds compositions with unapologetic force, layering color in sweeping, textured movements. His work is less about restraint and more about embracing the fearless energy of color itself.

As a colorist, Blaine blends tones in unconventional ways, creating vibrant abstractions that radiate both strength and vulnerability. His paintings often explore dualities — light and darkness, chaos and order, beauty and imperfection — capturing emotional landscapes that feel at once raw and refined.

For Blaine, each canvas is an act of construction and deconstruction: a wall of color that simultaneously stands solid and breaks open, revealing unexpected depths. His work is designe...

Radford University