Artist Bio/Statement
Karen was a floral designer and horticulturalist in Toronto for 15 years, so her style and subject matter heavily is still influenced by that. The paintings feature strong colours, pure themes, and expressive form.
*Karen has taken several painting and related courses. She studied at the Claude Watson School for the Arts in Toronto majoring in visual art, and attended faux finishing & life drawing courses at the Toronto School of Art, along with several watercolour classes with Marsha Stonehouse.
*Karen’s studio was a participant in the Haliburton Studio Tour for the past 6 years, she's , a past member of the Toronto Arts and Letters Club, the Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, and a member of the Arts Council in Haliburton.
*Karen has taught courses for both adults and children in Haliburton County and has also led classes in floral design and composting methods at community centres in Toronto.
*Certain artists have left their mark on Karen. A few such notables are, Picasso, Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Georgia O’Keeffe, Wilfredo Lam, the Group of Seven, and many more.
Collections:
Iconic singer, Prince, has purchased Karen’s work, and her paintings are in private and corporate collections across Canada. Internationally, her work is collected across the USA, as well as the UK, Switzerland, Australia, Holland, Mexico, South Africa and the Bahamas.
Galleries in Toronto and Los Angeles represent her work.
----------------------------------------------------
Karen Sloan - Artist Statement 2011
My paintings consist of interior design themes, décor, the odd landscape/floral painting, etc., but to describe them with that statement alone doesn't sound very interesting at all.
To a large degree, I’m poking fun at popular culture, as well as the ways we choose to enhance and decorate our living spaces & environments.
If you were to ask me outright, I'd have to admit that my art tends to be drawn (pardon the pun), to the more absurd, i.e: Pop Art, Kitsch & Campy abstract designs, which, to me, is much more interesting, and way more fun to live with.
Thankfully, (or not, depending on your opinion, of course), my art won't likely match anyone's living room chesterfield either, because really, in my opinion, that's not what art should be about.
A recurring theme in my work are empty chairs, or paintings sans people.
Clients who have purchased these see them as “optimistic paintings”; true for the most part, however, others feel that they are metaphors with an edgy sense of apprehension. It’s as if something has happened, is about to happen, and it's a bit like the calm before the storm.
This is a real juxtaposition that I quite enjoy. (Don't you just love the word "juxtapositon"? It's just so perfectly elitist. ; )
On the flip side, music is my biggest inspiration. I'm truly moved & affected by the marvellous, abstract sounds of Jazz, Blues and Swing, but particularly from the sound of my very favourite band, Steely Dan, (whom I unabashedly adore!).
With this direction in mind, I've felt inclined of late to follow this musical lead. Trying to translate imagery from the sounds I'm hearing and apply it on canvas. The goal is to create colourful pictures with much movement.
So... it's a new direction for my art, as well as an exciting and invigorating challenge.
I look forward to following where it leads me, invite viewers to come along for the ride, and would like to thank you for reading this artsy nonsense. : )
~ KS
