Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Roehl.
Karen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always been ‘artsy’ and applied those creative instincts to a career in graphic design. It was when my kids went off on their own that I returned to school to pursue a life-long desire to do fine art painting. So, in 2004 I began working on my BFA at the University of Colorado, Denver. This was my first higher-ed degree and I completed it in 2007. I was 52.
Before my university experience, I had taken a few workshops here and there and did various projects at home in my “spare time”, transforming the kitchen or my dining room into my studio after dinner. I experimented with all kinds of art… collage, small sculpture, textile work, found object art, painting, and more. I collected enough art materials and supplies to fill my entire garage (think hoarders) before realizing that even if I lived to be 100, it wouldn’t be long enough to do all the projects I had acquired materials and supplies for. I realized I had to choose. I chose painting b/c I loved everything about it, but most of all I loved the process of doing it. And that’s something I couldn’t really say for any of the other types of art I was hoarding materials and supplies for.
In university, determined to become the female version of John Singer Sargent, I began painting landscapes with oils. However, my art history classes exposed me to Abstract Expressionism which I completely fell in love with and made an abrupt change of course from representational work in oil to abstract expressionism in water-based mediums, such as acrylics and latex.
There are a number of advantages to attending school as an older student. One of them was that when I graduated with my new skills and enthusiasm for all things art, my peers were people with established careers who could help me launch mine. My earlier years of experience as a graphic designer also proved very helpful to marketing my work and myself. With a lot of hard work, a passion to paint, and the support of others, I found a market to begin selling my work immediately upon graduation.
Shortly after my debut into the local arts scene, I was approached by one of Denver’s main galleries, the very reputable Walker Fine Art Gallery. I was represented by them for about three years. Afterwards, I was picked up by Evergreen Fine Art where I exhibited a new line of work: realistic horses that I painted over abstract backgrounds. Currently, I am represented by K Contemporary Gallery in Denver and Tierra Mar Gallery in Santa Fe, NM.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Honestly, it all came together pretty fast and my career advanced very smoothly. I felt very accepted by the arts community, was exhibiting my work in good venues and shows, and I enjoyed regular sales. I was making a living off sales of my art! I wasn’t getting rich, but I was making it as a full-time artist, and in the art world that’s pretty much like winning the lottery.
Having things come together smoothly does not mean it wasn’t hard work. It was very hard work, way more than a full-time job. Also, I was completely dedicated. Everything about my life revolved around my passion for art… creating it, learning more about it, talking and thinking about it, … everything. When you love what you do, it isn’t work, is it? So I was happy to do the work and it paid off.
Please tell us more about your art.
I have not reinvented the wheel, I think that’s really hard to do and not really my aim. Instead, the ability to express myself in color, shape and form is a wildly satisfying experience that allows me to more fully connect with myself on levels that are not always evident or easy to reach. The process of digging into that place where my more mysterious self lives can be incredibly revealing and fulfilling. That is why I do art.
In my abstract works, my mark-making is sort of like a written language that my conscious self doesn’t really speak. Sometimes, that mysterious language resonates with a viewer. The connection made there, with another person, over abstract marks, shapes and color… a language that transcends our spoken language, is another extremely rewarding experience—we’re having a genuine exchange in a language neither of us consciously understand.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The art consultant who I first reached out to with my body of work freshly created during my last semester in university, Debbrah Courtney of Denver Art Company, was very instrumental in getting me started. She was enthusiastic about the work and sold several pieces during my first year out as a “professional” artist. This gave me great confidence and we had a very profitable relationship for a number of years. The exposure I had to the art market through her and the experience of being in the business of art led to my being able to secure representation with a very reputable gallery.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.karenroehl.com
- Email: karenroehl2@comcast.net
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