We were lucky to catch up with Karen Merkin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Karen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

When I was contemplating what I would study in college, I was choosing between teaching elementary school or commercial art/ illustration. My parents’ advice was to become a teacher, because they believed I wouldn’t be able to earn a living as an artist. If I could choose again, I would have definitely studied art in some capacity and started my art career while I was in college. (Although my classrooms did have the most creative bulletin boards.)

Karen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Being creative has always been an important part of my life. Starting in elementary school, I loved to copy detailed photos from books. When I got married, my husband suggested I try oil painting and I was hooked. When my daughters were young I ran a successful needlepoint business from my home, selling my designs on needlepoint canvas to stores and in a national catalogue. Once I had more free time, I decided to devote myself to creating art. About 10 years ago I started taking weekly art classes and weekend workshops with prominent artists whose work I admired. Since then I have been able to spend almost every day painting in my studio. Painting in a photorealistic style, my images include a lot of detail. People who see my work often comment that my subjects look so real, they feel they could reach out and touch them. During the beginning of Covid when I was stuck in my house, I set up still lifes of objects I found around the house. The subjects of my paintings include still lifes, food, and seascapes, but my favorite thing to paint is classic cars. I find them at car shows or just parked on the street. Then I take several photos to use as a reference and paint the images in my studio. I have also begun painting commissions of owner’s cars. An artist friend called my paintings “car portraits”, and that is how I think of them. Each car has its unique character with reflections of the environment on the chrome and glass surfaces.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I enter a lot of juried art exhibitions. One of the hardest things artists have to deal with is the rejections. Each juror has their own ideas of the type of artwork they want to include in a show. It is so difficult to deal with the rejections. I have had a piece rejected from one show only to win “Best of Show” in another. So I keep applying to shows and hope to get my artwork seen in as many venues as I can. It is also important to have the support of artist friends who are going through similar situations.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The more opportunities that have “call for artists” exhibits, the better your chance of having your artwork seen and sold. Having someone want to purchase your artwork is a very gratifying and validating experience. It makes you want to keep painting and keep improving your skills. Local artist associations are a good place to start. Then local galleries that sometimes have Open Calls for art bring artists more exposure. Now there are many online sites that allow artists even more access and visibility.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.karenmerkin.com
• Instagram: karen_merkin_art
• Facebook: Karen Merkin-artist

Image Credits
Vineyard Colors