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Karen Wolf
original art & colorful jewelry
Artist Statement
I like to paint a wide variety of subject matter in both representational & abstract styles. Inspiration for my work most often comes from images having strong contrasts in value, color or texture. Exploring different ideas, media & techniques that lead to new expressions through art is my aim.
Artist Bio & Resume
I have been expressing myself through art since early childhood. I am told that one of my earliest works was a much unappreciated lipstick mural on the wall at the age of two! I don't remember any of that but after the mural I was encouraged to use crayons, finger paints & pencils on paper! I have been drawing & painting for as long as I can remember. At family gatherings relatives found it very entertaining to have me (as a very young child) quickly draw one animal caricature after another, (if only I could be that entertaining now). My grandmother encouraged my interest in drawing and painting with an introduction to oil painting with a starter set when I was twelve. She was, at the time, trying her hand at painting classes.
Throughout my life I have experimented with soft & oil pastels, pen & ink, colored pencils, collage, oils & watercolors. I took regular & extra art classes throughout my school years. I was accepted to Kutztown College, Kutztown, Pa., for a Commercial Art degree but changed my mind about going to college. I started working for Verizon (at that time it was Bell Telephone). I put in my thirty years, painting in my spare time. My job afforded me the opportunity to go on several overseas art workshop trips. I also attended various watercolor, acrylic & portrait classes from several artists both locally & nationally known. After retiring several years ago I have been painting full time, working more often in acrylics. At times I combine the acrylics with one or more of the other media mentioned above. I enjoy working in a series in one media (abstracts in acrylic for example) & taking short breaks with one or two paintings in another media & subject matter, then going back to the series.
In the past several years I have taken some silver smithing classes. I have been designing & creating jewelry with precious metals, gemstones, vintage & artist made glass beads, incorporating my artwork into some of the pieces. I am also using a material called precious metal clay to sculpt one of a kind jewelry pieces. Precious metal clay is a clay with silver, bronze ( or gold ) particles suspended in an organic binder that burns off during a firing process resulting in a solid piece of 100% fine silver, bronze ( or gold ).
Exhibits & Art Shows
2000 July-August Reading Museum Berks Art Alliance
Juried Show
2001 July-August Reading Museum Berks Art Alliance
Juried Show
2007 July-August Reading Museum Berks Art Alliance
Juried Show - 2 Purchase Awards
2008 February Immaculata College Juried Art Show
2008 April Lebanon Valley College
Juried Art Show
2009 May Immaculata College Juried Art Show
2009 July-August Reading Museum Berks Art Alliance
Juried Show - Honorable
Mention Award
2 Purchase Awards
Current Series
My recent works are in acrylic sometimes combined with collage. Many of these are part of my " Soul Series". These paintings are my expressions in abstract of what the Soul means to me & what desires, purpose, emotions, inspirations & secrets it provides. These human aspects are so strong I believe that they come from deep inside us, from something we are part of & yet that is more than just the "I" we are aware of ; "the Soul". Some call it the "Higher Self" or "Source". I don't feel as though this is really a religious view but more a spiritual one. I continue to paint other subjects in different materials, but at this time I paint more in acrylic than any other media.
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