Have Your Cake & Eat it Too!

....And why not? Because, really, life is too short.

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"Afternoon Delights" - acrylic/canvas - 18" x 24"

by Karen Sloan

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Abstract Interior Art with a Spanish Flavour

In keeping with the interior room portraits I like to paint, the goal here was to add an international flavour. Since I have a deep regard and fondness for Spanish architecture, well, anything Spanish, really, so that was the look I was trying to attain, without being too over the top!

Spanish Tiles - acrylic on canvas - Sold

Copyright © Karen Sloan

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Curtain Call - Behind the Façade of Interior Design

This interior painting was somewhat represented by the curtains in the background, which after I finished it, reminded me of a stage.

The irony to me, is that this is one of my more benign interior paintings, but it especially got me thinking about the sometimes shallow world that we live, especially now that I've discovered that people actually have their homes "staged".

Recently, I met a woman who "stages" homes for a living, and it really got me thinking about our society and how we let ourselves be so judged by others.In essence, "staging" a house is usually done by a person with self-proclaimed good taste, (like the woman I met who claimed this trait to be hers).

"Staging" is done by adding furniture, accessories, and even art for the walls, that the owner of the house essentially rents in order to present an image to potential home buyers, who are of course strangers and who will be more likely to be taken in by such a façade.

Out of my own curiosity, I have to ask...

Are people so affected by the judgement of others, their taste, and need for approval, that they are willing to present a false image? So unsure, it would seem of their own reality, why are people willing to go to such lengths, enough to actually pay someone else, for some display that is so utterly fake?

And to further that, if someone is buying that said house, is it because they like the house, or is it the fraudulent furniture display, (that paid for image), that really, wouldn't even be included with what they are purchasing?

That's the absurdity I see. Seemingly society and the need of individuals to seek approval from each other can be rather expensive when one goes to these kinds of extremes, and I must say, without meaning to pass judgement, that I find it rather sad, and really telling, on many more levels than just this.

"Curtain Call" - acrylic on canvas - 16" x 20" - Sold

Copyright © Karen Sloan

Retro Pop Art - In The Pink - #WordlessWednesday

Jam Session - Art for Music Monday

I painted this not long after seeing my all time favourite musical band, Steely Dan, perform in Toronto a couple years ago.

Without a doubt, the duo of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker 's contributions to music are my biggest inspiration when painting in the studio.

Their songs and lyrics, are my muse.

So, this painting was created with the help of the oh so incredible live performance that

Steely Dan has once again provided my ever grateful ears, eyes and spirit.

I've seen them live 6 times now, and very much hoping they visit Toronto again sometime soon!

"Jazz Ensemble" ~ Acrylic on canvas - Sold

Copyright © Karen Sloan

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A Cubist Garden - Fractured Nature

"Tangled Garden" - by Karen Sloan

acrylic on canvas - 16" x 20"

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Imagery - Painting Famous Phrases...

Sometimes, a certain catchphrase from popular culture can invoke an image that an artist like myself can visualize in a certain way enough to want to paint.

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In this case, being a fan that I am of slapstick comedy and an admirer of such comic greats like Fatty Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Our Gang, etc., I chose the line "A Fine Kettle of Fish", which was, if you've followed some of these shows, known from Laurel & Hardy, geniuses of early comedy.

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"A Fine Kettle of Fish" ~ by Karen Sloan

acrylic on canvas - 16" x 20"

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Abstract Interior Painting - Lavender Lounge

Lavender Lounge - 18" x 22" acrylic on canvas - Sold

Copyright © Karen Sloan

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A bit abstract, but it was fun to meld furniture, interiors and a bit of the surreal with musical instruments. This is one of the first paintings I did where I tried incorporating the sound of Jazz on my canvases.

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Retro Treats - Summer Eats - a la Kitsch

A kitschy, yet a delicious way to keep cool.

Ah, you gotta love summer!

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Iced cream series ~ #1 & #2

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