As an iconic art teacher and the architect of Shipley’s formidable art program for 37 years, Chris Wagner taught hundreds of students, helping many of them launch successful art careers in a range of fields. Ms. Wagner’s dedication to her students left little time for her to pursue her own artistic endeavors, which she has embraced with her typical vigor and with great success after a shoulder injury expedited her retirement in 2014.

ln preparation for a trip to France, Ms. Wagner signed up for watercolor classes. She recalls waking up early each morning, sitting on a hidden bench in Giverny, and drawing for hours. “I’ve never seen you sit still for so long,” her husband told her. Now, she spends up to 10 hours a day painting in watercolor, a medium that suits her physical limitations.

Her earliest watercolors included vignettes of France. She combined images of fabric, spools of ribbon and embroidery thread, purple beans, melons, and sticks. All tell a story of experiences within French markets. They are richly saturated paintings that draw you into the story.

“I like to take familiar images and look at them differently,” she explains of her paintings, in which she tackles highly detailed and complex visual forms. The paintings “resemble sculptures,” she explains. “It’s the positive and negative space that I like about the pieces. It’s also all about color and the way light is reflected.”

It was at a wedding on the roof of the Bok Building in Philadelphia where Ms. Wagner was struck by the sight of the setting sun coming through the petals of a flower. “The filigree on the stem, the white fuzz glowing orange from the sunset” captured her imagination and inspired her “Dynamics of Color” series, on exhibit in November 2023 at the Muse Gallery, where she has had several one-person shows and works one day a month.

These days, she continues to draw her inspiration from natural forms and textures, photographing details that strike her interest and transforming them into stunning visual explorations. Ms. Wagner’s journey from a passionate educator to a full-time artist reflects her deep-rooted commitment to art as a teacher and practitioner. Her legacy at Shipley and her current endeavors continue to inspire both former students and new audiences alike.