Mar
30
by Anne Hansen
Karen Muntean enjoys "being part of the long historical continuum of people making marks on surfaces and trying to encapsulate and convey their feelings and impressions via images."
Wherever she has lived, Karen likes being involved in a community of artists and finding out what other creative people are doing.
Karen will exhibit her paintings at the James Bay Art Walk in September. We can also enjoy her offerings throughout April at Moka House Shoal Point (Fisherman's Wharf), in a show entitled "Colores de Mexico".
Artist Frida Kahlo and Mexican life have captivated Karen for a long time. She also loves the work of David Milne and Milton Avery, as well as Matisse for his "use of colour and pattern and the sensuousness of his work".
Karen finds much satisfaction in the process and craft of art-making. "As far back as I can remember, I enjoyed drawing and painting. My father liked to watercolour as relaxation after work and we had a little painting table set up in the basement where we painted together."
Karen earned a BA in Art from the University of Idaho, where she grew up. She went on to jobs in design and publishing in BC and California. Over the years, she's been commissioned to create artwork for the federal and provincial governments. More recently, Karen's work has been featured in the Sidney Fine Art show two years in a row. Her works are in private, public and corporate collections regionally and across Canada.
What is the source of Karen's inspiration? From the look of her website, it's flowers! "I had a garden on Saturna for thirty years and the beauty, transience and interesting forms of plants were easy and available subjects. I once did a big series based on bones and one on masks - portraits of friends and neighbours in masks of their choosing. I did quite a few horses, which I couldn't figure out why I was doing until I discovered that, according to the Chinese calendar, I'm a horse!"
Karen's affinity for the botanical world is clear. She's worked in watercolours and encaustic (the use of heated wax and pigment) to create artworks of tulips, lilies, peonies, orchids, magnolia, and cyclamen. My favorite is her dog-tooth violet, remarkable for its simplicity.
Karen's website: http://www.karenmuntean.com
Don't miss her "Colores de Mexico" art show at Moka House Shoal Point throughout April.