From early childhood, Kristi has spent her life traveling between Sydney, Australia and Saint Paul, Minnesota.  She was seldom without a book, a Barbie doll and a set of colouring pencils.  She was fascinated by art, travel, culture, and making things with her hands from a very early age and chose to study art, theatre and design throughout school and university.  After a decade in the corporate arena and a graduate degree in Design and an Executive MBA she decided to leave the corporate life for one where she could pursue her true passion – to become a self sustaining artist.

“At first glance, Abbott’s work draws the eye with its vibrant colors and complimentary patterns. Upon closer study, her paper collages reveal their complexity. Built layer upon layer and often containing secondary thematic elements throughout, Abbott depicts beloved icons and landscapes in her vivid collages.

Abbott’s keen compositional eye and her business acumen have allowed her to pursue her dream of earning a living as an artist.”  MN Originals

As an artist:

As a collage artist Abbott is fascinated with the use of colour, pattern and texture and tries to combine these elements in her work in an innovative and exciting way using a combination of substrates, adhesives, papers and embellishment materials.

Major influences in her work include pop art and pop culture, Hollywood, music and fashion.   Games from her childhood have also had a major influence in her latest works, which are rich with hidden imagery.  As a child she spent hours hunting through “Where’s Wally” books, examining “Spot the Difference” games and piecing together intricate jigsaw puzzles.

Her technique is still evolving and employs an exploratory and playful process, which can incorporate costuming, set design and lighting, photography, graphic manipulation, image transferring, print making, collage and painting.