About the Artist

“Painting lets me explore land, city or the figure through a modern lens.  Whether painting outdoors or in the studio, I enter a space of design, vibrant color and texture that continues right through to the finished work.”

Karen White was born in Southern California and moved to Palo Alto in the early 1960s, when much of Santa Clara Valley was agricultural. Apricot orchards, farms and green hills were then hallmarks of the Bay Area. She interprets scenic landscapes and urban scenes in a contemporary style, emphasizing strong design and vibrant color in her oil paintings.  Her award-winning work is in collections across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Karen has studied at the Triton Museum, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto Art Center and the California Academy of Painters. She continues to study with accomplished artists and mentors including Ray Mendieta, Brian Blood, Kim English, Terry Miura, Peggy Kroll Roberts; and studied with with late artists Randall Sexton and Van Waldron, and the late Canadian artist Robert Genn.

Process

Karen paints outdoors and in the studio, where she refers to plein air studies and photo references to create larger stylized works. Her painting process features layering. First she tones her canvas with rusty-red transparency and paints a value study in the same reddish color. When this under-painting is dry, she applies color from the darkest darks to the lightest lights, allowing pops of the reddish under-painting to show through at each step. Colors bounce off each another, creating energy. Karen uses big brushes, clay scrapers and palette knives for textural interest. For a final touch, she adds pops of vibrant color across the canvas to make the painting sing!