Today we’d like to introduce you to Christi Dreese.
Christi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Art was never a choice for me — it was simply who I was.
From the time I was a child I was drawing and painting. There was never a moment where I sat down and mapped out a career path. I just knew. The only real question was how to make a living doing what I loved — and that practical streak led me to pursue a double emphasis at Aquinas College in both painting and business administration. I wanted to be an artist who could also run a business.
After college I went to work at Frames Unlimited in Grand Rapids to build my custom framing expertise — because I understood early on that framing is an essential part of how art lives in a space. I also continued taking extracurricular art programs, always looking for ways to grow and develop my craft. The learning never really stops.
My professional career as an artist began to take shape organically through relationships. Early on I was introduced to Mindi Freng, an interior designer who was sourcing artwork for Holland Hospital. Other artists had referred her to me — and that connection opened the door to the world of healthcare and healing spaces that has become such a meaningful part of my work. Later I connected with River City Art Solutions, an art consulting team working on a large project at Health Points in Grand Haven. I continue to work with both of these companies today.
What I’ve come to understand over more than 25 years is that art in a healthcare setting isn’t decoration — it’s part of the healing environment. When a patient sits in a waiting room, walks down a corridor, or wakes up in a hospital room, the art on those walls shapes how they feel. That’s a responsibility I take seriously with every brushstroke. And it’s the work I’m most proud of.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, the road has been anything but smooth — and the biggest ongoing challenge is one I don’t think ever fully goes away: balancing the business side with the creative side.
People often imagine an artist’s life as long, peaceful hours in the studio with a brush in hand. The reality looks quite different. On any given day my to-do list includes managing social media, creating and editing process videos, writing custom framing orders, invoicing, developing painting concepts for clients, managing gallery inventory — and that’s before I’ve picked up a single brush.
Finding time to actually paint has become one of the greatest challenges of running a creative business. The very thing that started it all — the love of painting — can sometimes feel like the last item on the list. This is especially true during my busy season, when the demands of running the business are at their peak and studio time can feel nearly impossible to find.
What I’ve changed this year has made a real difference. Rather than waiting for a quiet moment in the studio that may never come, I’ve started painting on location and at Peg Head Gallery — demonstrating my process, connecting with people, and creating new work at the same time. It’s been a wonderful shift. Not only does it keep me painting consistently, it also means I’m building a whole new body of work that will be ready to share next year. What started as a solution to a scheduling problem turned into one of the best things I’ve done for both my art and my business.
What I’ve learned over more than 25 years is that the business side doesn’t go away — it grows as your career grows. The key is learning to protect your creative time the same way you protect a client meeting or a deadline. It took me a long time to give myself permission to do that.
And ironically, the Winsor McCay mural taught me that lesson all over again. Halfway through that project, with a deadline looming, I made a choice to put the camera down, step away from the to-do list, and just paint. It was exactly the right decision. Sometimes the most important thing you can do for your business is to protect the art that drives it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Some of my proudest projects have been in healthcare settings. I’ve had the privilege of placing both giclée prints and original oil paintings throughout Health Points in Grand Haven, and have worked with cancer centers and medical facilities across Michigan to bring uplifting art into spaces where people need it most. I also believe deeply in giving back to the community. Over the years I’ve donated work to organizations like Love Inc., Women in Transition, and many other causes close to my heart. When art can bring comfort to someone going through a difficult time — whether they’re a patient in a hospital or someone rebuilding their life — that feels like the highest purpose my work can serve. I’ll often get a text or run into someone who tells me they saw my work hanging in one of these spaces — that it made them feel warm, calm, and a little more hopeful. There are no words for what that means to me.
What’s next?
The future feels full of possibility — and I’m genuinely excited about where things are heading.
Growing the healthcare side of my business is a priority. Brightening up hospitals and healing spaces for people who are going through some of the hardest moments of their lives is some of the most meaningful work I do — and I want to do more of it. If my paintings can bring a moment of calm or happiness to someone sitting in a waiting room or recovering in a patient room, that will always be worth showing up for.
On the creative side I’m always working on a new collection. This year has more of a northern Michigan feel — I’m drawn to those landscapes right now and I’m excited to see where that takes me. I’m also planning to travel along the shoreline this summer, painting on location and exploring new lakeshore towns along the way. That kind of adventure feeds the work in ways that studio painting simply can’t. I can’t wait.
Public art is something I’ve fallen in love with — the Winsor McCay mural reminded me how powerful it is to put art where an entire community can experience it. It brightens up a space, starts conversations, and connects people to their own history and surroundings. I’d love to do more of that.
Teaching is something people ask me about often, and it’s something I’ve done and enjoyed in the past. Right now with everything on my plate it’s been on the back burner — but I’ve been thinking about finding a way to teach through video. That feels like a more sustainable path that could reach a lot more people without adding to an already full schedule.
And as I look ahead I’m also thinking about simplifying. The home goods line has been a wonderful part of the business — but it’s physical work, and at some point I’d like to phase that out and focus my energy on what I love most: painting, healthcare projects, public art, and being present at the lakeshore with a brush in my hand.
At this stage of my life and career the goal is to keep creating meaningful work, keep giving back, and keep finding ways to bring a little more beauty and light into the world. That has always been enough. 🎨
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dreesefineart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreesefineart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreesefineartandframing
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dreesefineart/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@christimdreese
