Christine Cordone Watercolors Plein air

Christine Cordone loves watercolors and enjoys plein air painting in the streets of Key West (French expression which means "in the open air”).

Her first experience as a painter was plein air. As a child she took lessons with artist Richard Frizzell and watched him paint on the shores of the Great Sacandaga Lake located in the Adirondacks Mountains of NY. She loved the way he used the palette knife as his primary tool and pushed pure color on to his canvas to mimic the movement of water and sky with oils.

She majored in both Elementary Education and Art Education. While a student at Oneonta State University, she studied with artist Jim Mullen. Jim gave Christine a love for gesture drawing with Flairs and drawing anything and everywhere.

After college, Christine pursued a musical career that landed her a recording deal with Columbia Records. She was the first female to be signed to Tappenzee records as a singer with the Allen Harris Band. The group’s album was produced by Bob James (jazz pianist). She went on to tour with the group and latter led her own band for over 15 years from Woodstock to the New York City area.

She taught art for six years near Woodstock, NY. There she took classes at the Woodstock School of Art. She had the opportunity to work with famed Catskill’s Artist Ralph Persons. He studied for 20 years with the remarkable John Pike (the inventor of the Pike's Palette) Christine painted mountains, lakes, barns and wonderful scenery reflective of the area.

In 1992, Christine moved to Key West with her husband, pianist Larry Smith. Christine's versatility and command of her vast repertoire has made her one of the most popular voices on the island. She accompanies herself on guitar and projects an easy feeling reflective of laid-back Key West, island lifestyle.

Christine resumed her study of watercolors and was fortunate to study with an iconic Key West painter, Sandford Birdsey.

She frequently passed by the window of Sandford Birdsey’s famous “Signs of Sandford” on Simonton Street and admired her paintings that were alive and vibrant. Christine studied for two years with Sanford, who stressed the importance of color, composition and light

Christine work is shown exclusively at Art@8:30 in Key West. She has had returning customers, commissions for pictures of people’s homes, and a clientele that stretches from coast to coast, (Maine to California) and to Europe (England and Germany).

Christine has studied with several masters of the trade, including Frank Webb, author of many essential books on composition and color and Dutch painter, Tony Van Hasselt, at the Hudson Valley School of Art. She has taken workshops with Alvaro Castagnet and Leslie Frontz.

Christine is presently teaching kindergarten in Key West, FL and has earned the prestigious title of National Board Certified Teacher.

Her motto is “sing your pictures and paint your songs”.

More Information

Christine's painting are available at

ART@830

830 Caroline Stree

Key West, Florida, 33040

305-295-9595

Call for purchase and shipping arrangements