I HAVEN’T STOPPED SMILING!
“Whatever you can be, or dream you can be, begin it! Boldness has genius, power and magic to it.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
This quote helped me find the courage to leave one active career behind and begin a new one. Becoming an artist was one of those “Year 2000, What do you want to do in the next millennium?” decisions for me.
From earliest childhood on, I loved to draw. I was the “Art Kid” in high school - art editor of the yearbook and always the one called on to make posters and design scenery. I took all the art classes available. Unfortunately, my parents would not support higher education in art.
After high school I laid my paintbrushes aside for 40 years, instead developing a career as a manager, writer, editor and trainer/speaker in the field of early childhood education. That’s a long time to neglect a passion! Living in North Park, Colorado brought me back to my senses...literally! With so much natural beauty around me, I felt a need to express myself artistically.
To hone my skills, I took many workshops in oil painting, watercolor and pastels:
Rich Galusha - oil plein air landscapes, oil and pastels portrait painting.
Dennis Pendleton - watercolor portraits and watercolor plein air landscapes.
Joel Johnson - watercolor landscapes
George Strickland - oil plein air landscapes in Colorado and in Provence, France.
Ken Auster - oil plein air and studio landscapes.
Ralph Oberg - oil plein air landscapes
Judith Hillberg - watercolor
Linda Lilligraven - pastels
Lorenzo Chavez - pastels plein air
Peggy Morgan Stenmark - watercolor/ink resist
Kevin O’Brien - oil pastels
Ellie Weakley - watercolor
Gary Schirmer - plein air oils and pastels
I attended a week-long gathering of the Plein Air Painters of America and took part in daily workshops there from Gay Falkenberry - still lifes, Ned Meuller - people outdoors, John Budicin, Ken Auster and Ralph Oberg - landscapes.
I also joined the Portrait Society of America and attended their national conference in Washington DC, where I saw portrait painting demonstrations from Burton Silverman, and Judith Carducci, among others.
At home I subscribed to many art magazines, bought lots of art books, and hung out with creative people. Probably most important, I painted almost every day, going through with the “100 paintings in 100 days” exercise.
My work has been represented in the Earth, Wind and Fire Gallery in Laramie, Wyoming and the Wyold Aspen Studio in Saratoga, Wyoming. Now, my work is exclusively at the Green Otter Gallery in Walden, Colorado, a gallery I own with several artist partners in the area.
The June 2011 issue of Sunset Magazine had an article on Walden, Colorado, and the Green Otter Gallery was featured, with photos of a couple of my paintings and my North Park ABC’s book.
I am delighted to talk to anyone about special projects and commissions.
Karen Miller
P.O. Box 97
Cowdrey, CO 80434
Phone: 970-723-4708
E-mail: karen@karenmillerfineart.com
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Karen Miller
