Original Oil Paintings by Karen Fox

Near Ocean Shores? Please come to my new show at the Tim Rossow Gallery. Opening reception is Saturday, April 27 from 11-3pm.
Visit my studio during Art Splash, August 10-11!

Current Work


About

Karen Fox at Deception PassThe light-filled oil paintings of artist Karen Fox are inspired by nature, by wildlife or almost any animal, by color, and by the sign, sound, and smell of large bodies of water.

So it's no surprise Karen's favorite subjects are animals and landscapes—which, she said, includes water and boats. "My paintings all start as moments of beauty that I try to capture. I long to paint the striking beauty of mother nature and the exquisite character of her creatures."

"I grew up in the city and suburbs of Chicago, so the only wildlife I saw were squirrels and birds. Later, in Denver, the picture was similar. It's sad that so much wildlife is gone from our cities, but on Vashon, and now in Ocean Shores, we're blessed with an abundance.

When it comes to sharing her techniques of painting, Karen is quite willing to explain or offer tips. "I chose oils as my medium because I love the way they smell and their buttery softness; I like the way it feels when I spread paint on a canvas and I enjoy the feeling of that stretched canvas as it first gives to the pressure of my hand and then gently springs back as I pull my hand away," she said.

"I frequently use a palette knife instead of a brush, however, the first time I used one was an accident. I was participating in a painting workshop in Taos, NM. My instructor suggested using a knife (to mix the paint on the palette.) But I thought he meant to paint the scene. It was so much fun that I kept coming back to it."

"While painting I don't like to slow down to clean or change brushes, so I'd frequently end up with a mass of mud. Using a knife helps me to keep my colors pure—you can clean it with one swipe. However, I learned the hard way to be careful not to slice my hand."

"I'm very moody when I paint," said Karen, "and each painting reflects that mood. For instance, some of my paintings have prominent swirls in their backgrounds—similar to those found in Van Gogh's paintings—and it's my mood that determines whether or not they'll appear. And it's my mood that determines what I'll paint. I'm someone who needs change from painting to painting, so I'll paint trees one day, water the next, and then perhaps an animal."

Karen points to a benefit she has received from painting that she never would have expected. "I've met many truly remarkable people because of my painting. Some are those who buy paintings, and others simply talk with me during studio tours or festivals. When I recall paintings I've sold, I recall just as clearly the people who chose them. They're now permanently linked in my mind. I love it when my paintings go to good homes."

Karen recalls a visitor to her studio during one of the Vashon Island Art Studio Tours. "That person told me that my paintings felt 'happy.' I was really touched by that. Life is filled with too much of the other stuff, so I want to surround myself with the good, the happy and the beautiful—and forget the hurt, the ugly, the mean, and the indifferent."

Karen started painting in 1997 when she took a "plein air" (translation: paint outside) landscape class from the Art Students League of Denver. In 2000, Karen moved from Colorado to Vashon Island, Washington, and in 2021, to Ocean Shores, Washington. Her paintings have found homes with private collectors in Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Washington, and Russia.
 


Resume

Gallery Shows, Juried Shows, Festivals & Honors

  • Miniature Show, Vashon Center for the Arts, Vashon Island, WA (12/2020)
  • Coastal Muses of Central Oregon, Vashon Center for the Arts, Vashon Island, WA (7/24/20 - 8/8/20)
     
  • Cole Gallery Anniversary Group Shows (1/2008–2014)
     
  • Featured Artist, Cole Gallery, Edmonds, WA (2/2010)
  • "The Flower Show," Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (2/2010)
     
  • Featured Artist, Cole Gallery, Edmonds, WA (6/2008)
  • "The Bee Show," Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (2/2008)
     
  • Group Show, Cole Gallery, Edmonds, WA (8/2007)
     
  • Strawberry Festival, Vashon Island, WA (7/2006)
  • "Chicken & Egg" Invitational Group Show, Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (2/2006)
     
  • Honorable Mention, Vashon Island Plein Air Festival, The Hardware Store Gallery (9/2005)
  • Strawberry Festival, Vashon Island, WA (7/2005)
  • "Winter Light," Three-Person Show, Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (2/2005)
     
  • Second Place, Vashon Island Plein Air Paint-off & Group Show, The Hardware Store Gallery (7/2004)
  • Strawberry Festival, Vashon Island, WA (7/2004)
  • "A Hint of Lilac" selected to represent Vashon Island Garden Tour (6/2004)
  • "Harbor Trilogy" selected by Masterpiece Arts for web gallery promotion (2/2004)
  • "If Wishes Were Horses," Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (2/2004)
  • All Women Show, Community Care Center, Vashon Island, WA (2/2004)
  • The Hardware Store Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (1/2004)
     
  • Three-Person Show, Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (11/2003)
     
  • "Shake the Tree 7," Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (12/2002)
  • "Vashon Perspectives," Three-Person Show, Blue Heron Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (10/2002)
  • "Coming Home," Three-Person Show, Silverwood Gallery,Vashon Island, WA (6/2002)
  • "Salmon Show," Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (2/2002)
     
  • "Shake the Tree 6," Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (12/2001)
  • 35th Annual Evergreen Arts Festival, Evergreen CO (8/2001)
  • Denver Invitational, Merrill-Johnson Gallery, Denver, CO (7/2001)
  • Western & Wildlife Show, Casper Artists' Guild, Casper, WY (4/2001)
  • 10th National Art Exhibition, NCAA, Fort Collins, CO (4/2001)
  • "Light From The Mountain," Three-Person Show, Silverwood Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (4/2001)
     
  • "Raising the Curtain," Third Canyon Gallery, Denver, CO (2000)
     
  • "Christmas Showcase," Belleli Fine Arts Gallery, Denver, CO (12/1999)
  • 33rd Annual Evergreen Arts Festival, Evergreen, CO (8/1999)
  • 5th Annual Clear Creek Celebration of the Arts, Wheat Ridge, CO (1999)
     
  • Scenic Southwest III, Lake Powell, AZ (1998)
  • 11th International Exhibition on Animals in Art, Baton Rouge, LA (1998)
  • 15th Annual All Colorado Art Show, Greenwood Village, CO (1998)

Non-Juried Shows & Festivals:

  • Art Splash Studio Tour, Ocean Shores, WA (8/2022)
  • Art in the Library, Featured Artist, Ocean Shores, WA (8/2022)
  • Winter on the Washington Coast, Art Exhibit, Coastal Interpretive Center, Ocean Shores, WA (1/2022)
  • 2020 VIPP Fur Ball Art Auction, Vashon Center for the Arts, Vashon Island, WA (10/2020)
  • VIVA All Member Show, Vashon Center for the Arts, Vashon Island, WA (10/2020)
  • 2020 Masquerade Gala Art Auction, Vashon Center for the Arts, Vashon Island, WA (9/2020)
  • VIVA All Member Show, The Hardware Store Gallery, Vashon Island, WA (6/2018–2019)
  • Vashon Island Holiday Art Studio Tour, Vashon Island, WA (12/2002–2010)
  • Vashon Island Spring Art Studio Tour, Vashon Island, WA (5/2003–2008, 2015)
  • Sonja Olsen Salon, Seattle, WA (10/2008 and 10/2005)
  • AQHA Misty Isle Ride 2004, Invited Vendor, Vashon Island, WA (8/2004)
  • Vashon Island Golf & Country Club, Vashon Island, WA (11/2002)
  • Barnworks, Vashon Island Spring Arts Tour, WA (5/2001-2002)
  • Art Students League of Denver Summer Art Market, Denver, CO (6/1998–2001)
  • Doug Dawson Landscape Painting Class Show, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO (4/2000)
  • Kim English Class Show, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO (3/1999)
  • Little Holiday Art Show, The Parker Cultural Commission, Parker, CO (12/1997)

Contact

206 - 496 - 3248


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