Alison Christler

Alison Christler has had a varied life in the arts.  She was originally trained as a classical pianist, but went into the family business of interior design in the late 1960’s.  In the 1970’s, while continuing the career in design, she began to study drawing, painting, and printmaking.  Fine art was interspersed with a broad range of design projects, including residential and commercial interior design, fabric, furniture and architectural design, a book cover (The Last City, by Roger Burke), etc.  After moving to Los Angeles in the early 1980’s, she continued her fine art studies in oil painting under Sergei Bongart.  Relocating to San Diego County in the mid-90’s, Alison began studying watercolor with Sandra Bray and taking workshops at the San Diego Watercolor Society (Robbie Laird, Al Brouillette, Frank Webb, Gerald Brommer, Carole Barnes, Cheng-Khee Chee, Skip Lawrence, Serge Hollerbach, Linda Doll, Barbara Nechis, Frank Francese, etc.) and outside SDWS, Charles Reid, Alex Powers, Katherine Chang Liu and Milford Zornes.  Since 1999, Alison has been a full-time artist, winning many local awards, and participating in art exhibitions in the Southern California area.  In June of 2006, she will teach her second workshop in Yosemite, and in Sept./Oct. of 2006, she and BJ. Wilson will lead a group of artists on their second European workshop --- this time to the south of Spain. 

Organizations:

 San Diego Watercolor Society

• Gallery Director, 2000
• Vice President/International Exhibition, 2001
• Vice President/Programs, 2005/6

 San Dieguito Art Guild

• Hospitality 1999, 2000
• Mothers’ Day Art and Garden Tour, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006

Assistant Gallery Director, 2002

• La Jolla Art Association
•  Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild