"First Dance" Painting

KAREN HALE PAINTINGS
“Using the basic art elements of color, design and texture I create a vibrant and opulent
canvas which both pleases and stimulates the art lover. The absence of recognizable
objective forms leads you on your own journey of discovery.”
Karen’s commercial artist father taught her to use power tools by the time she was
eleven, her mother the home arts. Her fascination with materials even at that early age
led to her artistic growth. She is able to look anywhere around her and see line,
form, and texture and transfer these ideas to a canvas. The ability to use layered color
brings each piece to a captivating conclusion.
Hale constructs her paintings with layers of thick and thin color that is washed, glazed or
scumbled, sometimes over textured surfaces. In her new “Serenity Series” she prefers
to use the smooth canvas to let the colors work, flow and interact with each other. A
variety of tools are used besides the traditional artists brushes such as found items in
the workshop or kitchen. She may use acrylic paints, mediums, papers, fabric, metallic
leafing, chalk pastels.or graphite. The results are a delight of color and texture and
result in depth that draws the viewer in.
Karen Hale has been a professional artist for over 45 years. She learned at her father’s
side and even though she has no formal training has demonstrated a natural mastery of
the arts. Over the years she has worked in many art forms therefore has the
understanding of how various materials work together and she dares to try.
Her work is found throughout the world in private collections and commercial
enterprises.