We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Karen Israel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Karen, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I will answer this question directly, but first I want to share that although I wasn’t aware I could make art as a younger person, my observant eye and my background was in place by the time I was ready to explore this avenue. As a working woman(a physical therapist) and at the same time taking care of a household and raising my daughters, I have learned to have a great deal of empathy, patience and discipline.This lifestyle created the perfect environment to foster the study of making art. Timing is not the important question for me, but rather moving forward and onward to my next project and my next artistic challenge. So to put it simply, I would not have changed a thing!

Karen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I began by taking basic art classes in local community settings and eventually went on to study in NYC and locally in Ct with artists whose work I admired. After gaining some confidence through sales, commissions and winning awards in National/International juried exhibits,I began teaching art.

So much of art is about emotion and one of the joys I get from painting is emphasizing my emotional reaction to a given subject or scene. As I create, I tie that emotion to a descriptive word kept in the forefront of my mind. I begin each project with an objective reality and as I delve further into it, I veer towards my emotional truth. Each painting tells a story and more recently, much of my work represents living beings at work or play. 

Painting has been second nature to me and I often think of it as my primary language. Using pastel as my preferred medium I am able to convey thoughts and emotions that might otherwise remain ineffable. Often, The manipulation of line, color and design are the tools I use to achieve clarity and forestall succumbing to the chaos of an increasingly chaotic world. At other times, I use these techniques to simply embrace the confusion.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I paint for the sheer joy of it,but it is an understatement to say that I am grateful when my work sells or when it is purchased as a gift for a loved one. It is so very encouraging when an esteemed judge(artist or curator) chooses my work for a juried exhibit and I am over the moon when my painting is chosen for an award. But despite these many compliments, purchases and awards, I would continue my artistic journey.

Another equally rewarding aspect of being an artist is teaching art. It is gratifying to mentor my students, encouraing them to develop their own style all the while imparting my knowledge of techniques and art principles. I have been told by many that I am an excellent teacher and I believe that is because of my background as a mother and a physical therapist.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I often get asked how long a particular work takes me to complete. The answer is complicated because the begining of the painting to its fiinsh can be more or less measured in time but that does not include the hours of thought, sketches, set up(if painting from life), photographing, framing, and self promotion. In addition, life experience,art education and my past works informs the latest project.

Another question I am asked is how one can view or purchase my work. My work can be viewed and purchased directly through my website or via an email or in the galleries I am currently exhibiting. This information can be found on my website:https://www.artbykarenisrael.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artbykarenisrael.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenisraelpastel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.helfeldisrael
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenisrael/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=karen+israel+pastel

Image Credits

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