Interview

May 10

Karen Connor

Karen Connor has been drawing, inking, and painting for over 25 years. She is most experienced and very confident with acrylics. For the past several years, she has painted from her home where she has added oil painting, and plans to venture into pan-pastels and pastel pencils this year.

Karen loves close-ups and detail, the detail in a face, in eyes, in the petal of a flower. She also loves water, finding it soothing, peaceful, beautiful, and alluring. You will find water in several of her paintings.

With her art, Karen hopes to make you smile, trigger a happy memory, or help you simply stop and smell the roses!

What is your background and how did you start your journey?

“I’ve always had a creative touch since I was a child. My sister and I had lots of coloring books around, and I would practice staying in the lines of the drawings. I remember when I was young, I’d sit by myself in the living room, tracing shapes and shadows like the drapes, the front window trimming, with my eyes. I’d pay particular attention to the way the drapes would curve and turn, and the different shadows of color that were created. I don’t know why I did this, but it had a calming sensation.
The first time I tried a portrait was in junior high school. There were two guys I thought were cute. Although I had their school picture, I had an unrelenting desire to draw them myself. After that, I took a long hiatus from drawing. I was focused on school and getting a job, and I nearly forgot about it until my university had an art print sale. I was so inspired by the artwork that I picked up my pencil and started drawing again. A year following that, I saw an ad for art classes at a Farmer’s market in my hometown and signed up. I took lessons once a week for several years to hone my skills as a drawer/inker. My teacher then encouraged me to add color, to try to paint, and to see how I progressed. Well, I was hooked! The colors, vibrancy, and detail that can be created through painting had me in awe. The way I felt leaving that class and driving home is almost indescribable. I now have such a sense of peace and appreciation for the beauty in the world around me. I see everything differently.
I now paint everyday and look for opportunities to compete in art competitions and expand my work worldwide.”

What inspires you most?

“I’m inspired by boldness, acts of kindness, the strength from overcoming adversity, and the beauty in nature and animals.”

“I see life in a different light with all the shades, and points of view, and I always find beauty in the world. This has led to gaining confidence, passion, peacefulness, inspiration, empathy, and healing.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I pursue wildlife, nature, well-being, strength, and courage themes. My goal is to inspire people to take action, to go out and pursue their dreams, whether that means going on that vacation they deserve, or just to get out in nature and experience all that it has to give, and to be all they can be. I want to invoke strong emotions of peace, love, inspiration, and awe in everything that surrounds you.”

How would you describe your work?

“My work is bold, iconic, and symbolic. I paint detailed close-ups that infuse strong, positive emotions.”

Which artists influence you most?

“I enjoy the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarotti for the detail presented in their work. I also love today’s pet portrait artists. They provide so much detail in their paintings that sometimes it’s hard to tell which is the photo and which is the painting! That’s what I aspire to do in my pieces!”

What is your creative process like?

“I search the internet for pictures of things that inspire me; a beach scene, a water scene, sunsets, wildlife, landscapes, and images of people that give me a sense of hope and pride. I either go to a royalty-free site or pay to download pictures to use as a guide for my creations.
I also use photos I have taken or ones clients provide me with that will bring beauty and inspire people. I add a lot of detail and up-close images for unique pieces.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“An artist’s role in society is to bring their clients joy, which can occur in many ways. Perhaps the artist is helping their client commemorate a memory, a family member, a pet, or an experience that a client had that brings them happiness every time they look at that painting. The artist may be creating a calming environment or an environment that is energizing and motivating by decorating a room or office space with colors and patterns which they choose to suit their client. An artist can de-stress a client by simply doing live paint videos. So, an artist can do a lot for people’s mental health, and this role will continue to grow.
Over the last few years, the world has seen the COVID epidemic, anti-racism (Black Lives Matter) and First Nations concerns in Canada. There has also been the calls to action, and the discovery of unmarked graves and the treatment First Nations peoples endured in residential and day schools. In addition, there is another war and a lot of negativity. To avoid getting sucked into a black hole, people must look for and have experiences that bring about positive emotions. Art has that ability!”