Crystal Macclain

My fervor for painting began with nightmares and other spontaneous, visceral hauntings. I aim to release my demons and imprison them in paintings to walk through life unburdened. I hope these representations encourage onlookers to recognize and confront their internal struggles.

My process begins with a recording - a loop played over and over in the mind. How do you stop it? Look at it. Inspect and reflect. Hold it in your hands and examine it from every angle.


Colors represent feelings, as do light, texture and distortion. Searing images from my visual memory work through my hands, transferring emotions into paper or canvas with acrylic paints and mediums, providing distinctive structure. The artist’s knife gives me the most satisfaction while the brush highlights and focuses the intensity. I face the fear and terror born of regret, shame and loneliness.


Open that container of darkness and challenge what lies within.


Crystal explores art in many media. Professionally, she studies the body and brain processes. Hidden emotions came forth after a major car accident and during work pressures, compelling expression.

These paintings depict all that is within.

Early years in the Midwest included fine arts classes and exhibitions. Music filled the next phase of life, playing several instruments and composing. Crystal explored the body and its internal processes, and using advanced imaging, obtained a PhD in Neuroscience. She performed top-level brain imaging in New York and Cambridge, UK. After returning to the USA, emotions hidden during childhood came forth after a major car accident and subsequent work pressures. During a personal artist retreat in Taos, NM, Crystal started her journey with acrylic paints in 2018.

In Colorado, Crystal is a member of the Denver Art Society, and has exhibited pieces representing the glimmer of hope among terror in the ‘Fantasy’ curation (July 17th – Aug 14th 2019). Immediately following, imagery confronting the juxtaposition of order and chaos is included in the ‘What sets your soul on fire’ curation (Aug 14th – Sept 18th 2019) and is scheduled for October’s ‘Monochrome’ series revolving around pieces of a golden warrior (September 18th – October 16th). In November (11/13/19-12/18/19) she shows work in the 'GROWTH' curation.
At the R Gallery in Boulder ‘Russet Remembrance’ was chosen for the ‘Lines’ exhibition (July 28th – Sep 1st 2019), and the Darkness exhibit displayed 'Murth' and 'Lamppost'. These originals and giclées are available on their website, rgallery.art.
Spectra Art Gallery includes Crystal’s work in the Tiny Art Big Ideas art show starting November 9th 2019. The work shown is being exclusively sold at this gallery.
She continues to show at the Denver Art Society in 2020.