Karen Walker has been painting and drawing for most of her adult lifetime. She trained at Dundas Valley School in Ontario, and the Okanagan College School of Art, an affiliate of the Emily Carr School in Vancouver. As well, she has studied with several well known artists, including John Leonard, and Jodi Joseph.

Since moving to Ontario from British Columbia in 1994, she has explored many media, including watercolour, drawing, oil and acrylic, lithography, mixed media and collage. Her work has been shown in many Ontario Juried Shows, and been on display in several galleries.  Please consult her bio for details.

Karen Walker Studios:  Life as a Visual Artist

Art is essential to life for me. I consider painting and drawing a vital element of personal expression. It nourishes and stimulates me, and keeps me well. I explore all aspects of the visual. I do it as an expression, both from me, and to those outside me.

It began as simple drawing. Drawing in my early years was “second nature” to me, and I used simple tools.  I consider painting an extension of drawing, using different tools, and various types of paint.

Mixed media work is often creating a different surface or support on which to draw or paint. Sometimes creating that surface is all that needs to be done.

I have experimented with printmaking, particularly lithography, which I will explore more.

My subject matter was originally nature. I am a landscape painter who particularly thrives painting outdoors. I realize I take in all of the stimulations of a plein air environment while painting.  I also experience all the senses, and feel that they influence the work. Looking back at early paintings, I intensely remember all aspects of that sensory input, not just the visual.

I regularly paint small watercolour sketches from the environment. I savour the concentration it requires. Sometimes these smaller pieces speak vibrantly to me, and inspire larger work.

Over the years I have painted many different kinds of landscape, inspired from varied environments, many from my travels. The urban landscape in particular speaks to me. I have painted several urban series, doing so when inspired in that direction. Most of these works are done on canvas.

Painting from a live model, and portrait painting are directions I also explore.

Life subject matter is inspirational to abstract work. From a visual awareness of a gesture, or a posture, I often take it somewhere else.

Currently, repetition is a nuance that appears. Incising is often practiced.  I am also moved naturally to carry drawing into painting, or painting into drawing.

The support used for figurative work varies from paper to canvas to mylar or a combination.

I am now dedicated to reusing my supports, so that from an environmental point of view, I am not constantly using up, and making more. I assess previous work on a regular basis, and reuse some or all of it, in new work.

I look forward to others considering the work and welcome input.