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Karen Fields

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I’d like to introduce you all to Karen Fields.  After discovering her on Etsy, I explored her website and fell in love with her work.  Karen was kind enough to provide us with a little interview, so, without further adieu, in her own words…

      

Have you always painted?  No, I started out in graphic design at Ringling College of Art and Design and did not like my painting class in art school at all. I was afraid of color! I was intimidated by it. All I wanted to do was use pencil for the longest time.

Do you do so full time? Yes, I do now and have for the past 3 years.
 

How do you get inspired to take on new subjects for your paintings? I must really want to paint what is on my mind as far as color and subject matter. I am usually inspired by nature. Living in sunny Florida [Karen lives in Orlando!].  I have a lot of inspiration all around me. I love color so it has to be something that I can really make a statement about. I like to have the painting jump right off the wall. If I see something while I am driving I will make a note of it and include it in my painting whether it is a color or a shape.

Your use of color is striking. Do you find yourself more directed by color or subject? For example, do you choose flowers as the subject matter to allow yourself the opportunity to explore different color palettes?  I am more directed by color, yes, and flowers allows me to do just that. I can remember my high school art teacher telling me that I will never make a living by drawing flowers! Although, I love the  use of huge blocks of color just for impact to create emotion on my landscapes and building paintings. I am not one to use primary colors. They really don't appeal to me. My favorite colors are hot pink, light blue, light blue violet, and yellow ochre. But mostly, I use a combination of all the colors that I can, creating new colors of my own.

How has your aesthetic changed over time? Have you always used color so vibrantly?  Since I have been painting, I have always used bright and vivid colors. My feeling is if I am going to paint, I am going to do it up in living color! I have tried to be true to myself as a painter. Painting what I think is beautiful is important to me.

What have you done, as an artist, to develop your own individualized expression? Do you expose yourself to lots of other artists' work? Explore the outdoors?  I had explored and researched other artists for hours and hours before I finally found a comfortable and wonderful style to call my own. I want my art to be completely unique and unlike any other artist. To me this is what makes my paintings very special.

Are you "happy" with your work when you complete it? Or, is each painting a further development of the ideal piece?  I absolutely love each piece I have created. I know when to stop when I feel happy about it. If I don't feel happy about it I will put the painting away for a while and think about it, start another painting, and then go back to it after a week or two with new eyes. I feel like my paintings are a part of me and my soul...very hard to let them go. But, I so want to share my gifts and talents with the world.

If someone had 3 words to describe you and your approach to your work, what would they be and why?   (1) Colorful; (2) Delightful; and (3) Happy.  I have been blessed to receive feedback from my collectors that really makes me happy. They love the color and many say my paintings make them happy every day.

Thanks, Karen, for sharing with us!  Check out her Etsy shop—a very happy stop :)