PAINTINGS 1
by Karen Anne Baldauski
GULL PEERING DOWN, 30x24, acrylic on stretched canvas
"A fleet regatta way off shore is an exciting image; it is something that got filed away in my mind to find life again in memory brush strokes when a painting such as this one began to take shape. I “threw in” the sailboats at the last minute with as precise detail as I could remember.
Art for me is an expression of life experiences, many of them joyful, which somehow may connect
with others who have also appreciated certain beauty."
REGATTA, 15.75 x 25 unframed size, acrylic on 140 lb watercolor paper, $2400. This new painting is available for sale at the New England Watercolor Society's juried North American Exhibition from November 2-December 3. "Regatta" was recently juried into the highly competitive New England Watercolor (NEWS) 2022 North American Exhibition. The juror is Soon Y. Warren. Only 85 out of a total of 435 paintings were selected and will be on display at the NEWS gallery in Plymouth, MA. Karen has gained NEWS "Signature" status. Contact newenglandwatercolorsociety.org for more information.
RED BUOY, 14x11, acrylic on canvasboard, framed.
"Edge Of The Sea", 24x36, acrylic on stretched canvas.
Karen lives surrounded by the sea. She paints subjects she knows and loves. She has been winning prizes since her first national painting competition where she earned first prize for her oil painting, "Hope", while still in college.
"Deerfield", serigraph, 46/50, matted & framed, from a series of 7 designs Karen created during the first month Karen arrived in Maine, 1978. "Raspberrying", "By The Sea", "Violets", and "Irises" are the other prints created in a frenzy of happiness for having moved to Maine. She worked in a horse stall, no water, no electricity, just one window for light! The serigraphs were sold through the Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset.
"Taking A Nap" is one of hundreds of figurative paintings and drawings Karen has created since 1981. Using just a brush to create line drawings is an exciting process that demands full attention and the highest of skills to achieve so much with as few strokes as possible. Sumi-e fundamentals are the basis of much of Karen's work.
This painting won the Founder's Award ($400) given in honor of the founder of the Sumi-e Society of America, Motoi Oi, at the international sumi-e exhibition "Sumi-e For Today" hosted by the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto, Canada in 2009. William Ho, an internationally renowned artist was the juror. "Sumi-e" is Japanese for "painting in black ink". Karen's work in whatever media she uses is characterized by sumi-e fundamentals. Wikipedia defines "sumi-e": there is "...a great emphasis on virtuoso brushwork and conveying the perceived "spirit" or "essence" of a subject over direct imitation." ...
N HER FIRST COMPETITION,
Bob: "Let's go!"
As a Registered Maine Guide, Karen knows how important it is when going on adventures to go with a "buddy".
Bob is Karen's buddy He knows how to stay safe in boats on the ocean and the big lakes and rivers throughout Maine. He knows how to fix most everything that could break down and has mastered electronic gear to cover all eventualities. Bob wrote a poem (below) for Karen, December 27, 2012, which sums up her life:
Art is IT
IT is Art
IT is my passion
IT is I
IT is my Soul
IT is my life
IT is eternal
I am IT
A NOTE FROM KAREN:
As artists, what subjects we choose to concentrate on
in our work tells a lot about who we are and what we find to be meaningful in life.
Our work becomes our legacy.
Thank you for spending time looking at some of my works.
(There are more paintings displayed under the heading PAINTINGS 2, and SUMI-E, click on the menu.)