Our latest Artist Profile is with artist Karen Stephens, who has just launched her solo exhibition Where Yellow and Blue Collide (Olley’s Horizon) on November 7th.
A remote Queensland artist, Karen has created a body of works based upon the Australian landscape that reflect her appreciation of our unique surroundings.
How does where you grew up, or where you live now affect your art?
I am a visual artist living and working in remote Queensland, Australia. I am drawn to Australian landscape paintings because these are the works that affect me the most when I look at them. The Australian Outback is continually being redefined with contemporary painting. My works are as much about how I see this space, my perception as well as landscape.
Who or what are the biggest influences to your work?
It’s hard to say who my biggest influences are because each painter whether they be a landscape painter or not, brings forth something unique in each artwork. I spend time looking at work from the Modernist painters of Australian landscape – Arthur Boyd, Sid Nolan, Jon Molvig, Russell Drysdale because they were exploring these regions and trying to make sense of these inner regions with painting. I do like the works of late Italian painter Giorgio Morandi for their quiet but intense compositions. Morandi also repeatedly looked at the same subjects and painted locally instead of being attracted to the major centres of art.
What medium(s) do you work with, and why have you chosen them?
I work with water-based mediums out here because it’s convenient for transporting - they dry quickly too. I enjoy the translucency and pliability of water-based paints. I predominately like to work on paper or board. I also manufacture my own surfaces for painting on.
Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?
I have a studio however I also like to spend a lot of time just looking and working directly in the bush landscape for a direct impression. My senses work over time out here – at first it can look like there is not much to see. Living remote means that my subject is all around - right there in front of me. I don’t have to go too far to find something that attracts my eye. As a painter I am always looking.
What’s next for you after your time at Brunswick Street Gallery? What upcoming projects are you working on now?
I’m currently working towards a solo exhibition of new works that will be on display at GALA Gallery in Rockhampton in 2020.
This project was made possible by the Australian Government's Regional Arts Fund, which supports the arts in regional and remote Australia. The fund is provided through Regional Arts Australia and is administered in Queensland by Flying Arts Alliance.
You can see more from Karen on her website: https://karenstephens.com.au/