studio chat

interior design art tips

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 00:41:40 GMT

Your art is a reflection of you and your space — show it to advantage.

Did you know I was an interior designer before I returned to my love for fine art full-time? Art was one of my favourite elements in designing an interior. My first client briefing, whether commercial spaces or private residences, always included a "show me the art you live with and tell me why". The interior always came together for them because I was able to draw on those pieces of art for inspiration.

tips for art collecting

Personally, my number one question when I'm considering a piece of art is "can I live with this?" It is the easiest way to tell if a piece resonates with you. If it is a resounding "Yes!" buy it, if you're waffling - walk away. Sometimes the piece reverberates with you for a while then go back and get it!

Art is critical. What we surround ourselves with and what people see we surround ourselves with, project an image and invoke feelings - consider it.

You may be drawn to one medium of art like photography, paintings or sculpture or prefer to mix it up. You don't have to limit yourself to any one art form or style for that matter. My personal collection ranges from traditional paintings and prints to very abstract forms of sculpture - I love it all. I feel if you are drawn to a piece of art, then it should be in your space and it will automatically be at home and "work" within it. That being said, the next point of consideration is where and how to install it!

installation ideas

Locations Where you place a piece of art should be considered carefully. Is it a piece you want to be greeted with when you arrive, or motivate you on your way out? Is it suitable for a bedroom, bathroom, living room or hall? After you determine that then the installation is easy! Please, please, please don't hang it too high. If it is a space that you are primarily walking through place the centre of the art at average height eye level, if it is a space like the living room or dining room where you are primarily seated then place it at eye level when seated. Trust me you will enjoy the art so much more if you're not straining your neck to look at it.

Installation Consider unique ways to display the art whether by:

• the hanging apparatus - nail and picture hook versus chain versus easel;

• the actual wall space it is hanging on

- put a really small piece of art on a large expanse of wall - people will be drawn to the piece by sheer will to see what the detail is;

- put a large piece of art on a smaller wall so that their senses are completely enveloped by the art,

- can it be suspended from the ceiling ?

- display it on an easel!

Visual flow As you review your collection you may find some pieces have a lot more detail in them than others. Put visual rest spaces near the busier ones - that may be in the form of physical distance or it may be another piece of art that is much more simple in content. One of the things that will become apparent to you is that you are likely drawn to a similar palette of colour. It doesn't mean that all the pieces have the same overall colours but each likely pick up on colours one to another. In effect, you create a ribbon of colour from area to area that makes viewing (and living with) the art a harmonious presentation. The harmony can come from content but more often than not if you have a mix of art forms, it is the colour piece of visual information that you will land on.

Those are a few of the tips I have for you at present - they are the most common questions when people want to put their collection up to enjoy the work.

Oh and if you can't handle it yourself, I'm available for hire — I love working on displaying collections!

#interiordesign #artcollections #displayingart

putting it out there

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Wed, 11 May 2022 20:27:42 GMT

great moments in an artist's life

There are lots of moments in an artist's life that are great — break-throughs in concept, the perfect stroke or texture that finishes a painting, being accepted in to exhibitions and this! being included in a gallery where your work will be available on an on-going basis. So exciting to know that new eyes will be on my work and hopefully in the collections of art lovers that appreciate concept, abstraction and contemporary work.

Le HangArt Gallery in Toronto has taken my work in and I'm so happy to be showing there alongside some amazing artists. You should definitely check out their site https://lehangart.gallery, follow them @lehangart.gallerytoronto and visit the Gallery 699 Queen St. W. Toronto.

This gallery is a very cool format - totally accessible - there is art on the walls of course and you can browse through stacks of canvases - it makes it a very personal experience with the art.

#artcollectors #galleryrepresentation #artistlife

colour creep

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 02:41:42 GMT

this is the first painting in over a year where I have felt the urge to bring colour back on to the canvas

I have loved working in black and white. It seemed it was going to carry on through this year, however, during one of my concept journaling sessions, as I sketched and arrived at this concept I realized and felt it needed colour to express it. Could be the change in season coming, my studio relocation, or restrictions lifting - I'm not sure. As with all of my work I allow the emotions I'm feeling to determine colour and technique and this one, with the working title "resilience" is moving to a light filled canvas with colour creeping in and through the figure. I still feel the urge to create outside of a typical ground and use the textiles and frames that I have to explore new presentations of concepts.

2022 has arrived

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 16:29:18 GMT

Still working in black and white...

Well I, like everyone else, hoped we would be in a very different world state than we are. The studio can't be open for art experiences and worrying about how to manage sometimes stalls my work. While our government is doing everything they can to help many, my little business doesn't qualify for assistance and it's a tough go. It's all relative so I'm grateful for the things I do have and will continue to seek the silver linings.

My work seems to be staying in black and white. I'm calling this my pandemic palette lol. I'm going to ignore the cold and snow outside and try to focus on some new work. I have started a couple of new canvases and going to experiment with a single colour painting (well single in a sense that I will only use white paint. There are sooooo many versions of white - I'm going to work with four different ones and likely lots of texture — I'm excited to try it).

My 2021 word "experiment" seems to have migrated to 2022. Right now the only other expression I can lean it to is "the world will heal". Stay safe, seek out creativity, live well.

greys of 2021

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 16:12:12 GMT

journals, sketching, painting, blog posts....

As I wind up 2021 and start to add more of my new pieces to the site, I realized I haven't actually taken the time to post here at all. Probably multiple reasons — work, life, painting, teaching ... however, I think the main reason is because I journal and sketch every day. This is part of my process for creating art. I dump my thoughts on a page - sometimes I even tear the pages up after - inevitably this leads to me sketching and arriving at a concept for a new piece. Maybe I should scan those pages and load them on the blog lol. So I think between social media posts, sharing art experiences in studio and journaling, what happens is that I feel like I've already shared.

Well since I have been neglecting this page I will recap a little of the 2021 'highlights' and 'low lights'. I am coming up on the second year anniversary of my studio in Hamilton. That's right, it directly correlates to the pandemic timeline, so you might guess it's been a bumpy ride. Took the space just pre-lockdown and couldn't actually open it up to share until late summer 2020 - well you know what it's been like since then. Between restrictions, 'pivoting' to virtual, and trying to get to know my Hamilton community (mostly virtually) it has presented and continues to present new and ongoing challenges. No idea where it might head in 2022 but I do hope the virtual support I've experienced and the limited number of new clients is a strong foundation to a healthy future for the studio, which in turn means for me, other artists and the arts industry.

All of that has of course impacted my artwork. In an ideal world you'd think the level of isolation (artists often work alone so at first it was not an issue at all) we've all experienced, and a lack of new business would present opportunities to create, create, create, paint, paint, paint, but in fact it can be somewhat debilitating. I do continue to paint, draw and concept new work however I haven't felt the need to share it through the usual channels (social media etc.). Maybe because it felt like a very personal journey through the Covid experience. Perhaps because sometimes the daily news was (and is again) so disturbing that my art felt insignificant in the face of that.

However, that being said, I do believe in the power of art and trust that my contributions assist and empower many to consider their own personal strengths and grow relationships in positive and healthy directions.

In January 2021 my art took a new turn - I went from vibrant, colourful paintings to black, white and grey art. It wasn't deliberate it just evolved and I haven't been able to move back to full colour yet. I'm calling this my 'pandemic palette'. The shift in colour did not change the series' direction only how the concepts present. I'm not complaining, it's been a wonderful exploration in the colours of black, abstraction, mixed media and minimalism. I don't see it changing any time soon - I'll just continue to work with it.

Personally, I've had friendships strengthened, new relationships evolved on an interesting level, family health issues (one specific to Covid), related challenges to supporting others (hospital restrictions), editing to living minimally, a far less active social life, ongoing realizations of the value of communication and significant interaction, ultimately, I'm trying to live well and contribute to the well-being of others.

I do believe the world will heal but it has a long way to go.

For 2022 I wish you and the world a life of happiness, great health and creativity that surpasses your expectations.

#newyearreflections #artistlife #happynewyear

covering new ground

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 21:33:21 GMT

my new year projects are coming along...

When I decided my word for 2021 would be "experiment" I wasn't too sure where it would take me but I have to say I'm enjoying the process tremendously. I've completed two of the projects and have three more under way.

The first most immediate reward has been working on old grounds that I haven't played with for a while namely paper and cardboard. I almost forgot how much I love graphite! (Not really I have an astounding number of pencils lol.) The other ground I've been working on has been remnant fabrics from my days as an interior designer. The first couple of paintings (yes I'm not about to give up painting) this year were created on a beautiful upholstery fabric — cream coloured with a silver metallic ribbon through it. It is wonderful to paint on - the brush grabs the fabric in a completely different way than canvas does and it produces some interesting results. I have a whole slew of remnants from various projects over the years so I'm anxious to keep working them.

The other aspect of experimentation that I'm pursuing is installation - in addition to working on different grounds I'm exploring different ways to mount and then install the paintings - some frustration but lots of fun overall. The image above is the first piece I completed - it's called "I thought of you". Not every situation in life can be contained. In this piece I wanted the concept to go beyond the ground it was created on and zero in on elements of the painting rather than the seeing the whole image (although it does exist), and break the boundaries that a stretched or traditionally framed painting would give to it.

It would also seem that I have moved away from working with a colourful and bright palette right now (could be I'm missing the sun and my creative retreats to warmer climates - could be? No. I am.) I'm okay with this — there are so many shades of grey and different blacks that it presents a number of other welcome challenges [much like relationships].

#creativeadventures #artistexperiments #Canadianwinters

new year new direction...

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 17:47:18 GMT

my word for 2021 is "experiment" - I'm pumped!

Over the holiday period of 2020 I was asked to consider a word to go forward with in 2021. My immediate response was 'experiment' and I am definitely heading that way!

I was really productive on the work and home front over this holiday season — may be due to the lockdown, may be due to a new attitude toward work/life balance that I decided to take. I found since the launch of my studio early 2020 and the subsequent restrictions, that I was not spending enough time on my own art. I was focused on planting seeds for the studio and artists that join me there. While I know that is necessary, what I realized was that creating my own pieces was critical to achieving studio success. Why? because I'm happier when I do and I'm more relaxed tackling the admin side of this business.

So here's what transpired. I was spending a morning on my sketching and journaling and voila! a new direction emerged for my work. I'm so excited. It came together in a matter of hours. Now, mind you, it is no doubt a matter of all of the thoughts, ideas and directions I've considered in the past synthesizing to this path. I played with the idea of changing my series' focus however I had to quickly discard that as I'm sure I'm not through with the concepts and every time I looked at a new direction it came back to the same basis of ideas. I'm totally fine with that, obviously I have more to say, lol.

What did emerge was the way I present the ideas. Traditionally a painter, I've only dabbled a bit in mixed media - but now? Now I am exploring it to great potential. It came to me as the options for grounds other than canvas and wood came to mind. I have a number of elements (samples, extras) from my interior design days that are crying out for use. One thing led to another and the pic you see above are some of the projects I'm exploring and creating. Paintings on fabrics, wallcoverings, paper and then installation directions that challenge the notion of a typical presentation (framed or gallery style mountings).

It's going to take some time to create all of these but it is so much fun and my intention is to share them in the spring (well, I'll share in progress shots too).

Putting the fun in 2021!

Want to get to know me?

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 17:44:43 GMT

"unapologetically Canadian" interviewed me for a podcast!

It was great fun to chat with Tracey Arial about my art, our current world and about the launch of my studio in 2020. The podcast airs on MixCloud and you can access the interview here:

https://www.mixcloud.com/TraceyArial/exploring-the-power-of-art-with-karen-klucowicz/

Notes extracted from Arial blog:

"First, we got together on Zoom to do a tour of her new gallery Studio K2 in Hamilton, Ontario.

We finished up on audio for the rest of our conversation. We spoke about entrepreneurship, the challenges of staying productive, working process and contributing to the local community. It was a great conversation.

Karen has lots of ideas about how artists can package their expertise to create inspiring products for companies, individuals and families. I particularly liked her date night painting adventure."

artists salon with studio k2

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 21:05:25 GMT

chatting with your peer group & supporters is amazing!

studio k2's first group exhibition launched earlier this month and last Sunday the exhibiting artists, a writer, and art-enthusiasts went online to chat. It's a great experience - questions about our creative process, thoughts on street-art and corporate involvement, and collaborations were some of the topics we touched on. These are all areas I've thought about and it's so great to be able to chat with others of the same mind-set as well as individuals that don't work in the field. Thought provoking and inspiring.

For all that this pandemic has taken away it's also enabled creative ways to connect and share ideas. This one happened on the zoom platform and it went really well. Can't wait 'til the next one! (Why don't you join in the conversation?? see the info on www.studiok2.ca/artists-salon )

i paint like i read

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:04:54 GMT

never one at a time

I have never been able to read one book at a time. I’m the same when painting. I have several canvases on the go at the same time - various sizes, different concepts.

I have a library of concepts on the go at any gIven time - in my sketchbooks, base paintings on canvas, notes on my phone - sometimes these concepts rest for years and percolate in my mind’s eye until I am drawn to finish them.

When I have several larger pieces happening that take extended hours to complete, I turn to small canvases and create little paintings that I can complete in a shorter amount of time.

With these little pieces I commit to different palettes, (once in a while the content is different from my usual series but inevitably I’m pulled back to my figure work) focused concepts, quick brushstrokes and alternate tools for applying the paint. Often these pieces transfer fresh and new techniques to the larger canvases and a development of my overall style. It also offers a sense of accomplishment as I continue with the larger paintings…

when art goes to a new home

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 19:29:22 GMT

when a concept delivers and a collector accepts it

There is no better feeling for an artist than when a collector receives the original intent of a painting. This has happened numerous times for me. Most recently these three pieces went to new collectors. The first piece is called 'yield' — for me, and as received by the new owner of this piece, it is about giving in to feelings, responding to others and allowing new relationships in to their life. The mixed media piece in the centre is called 'hearts desire' - the collector was moved to tears and told me it was her story. 'out loud' is the third painting here - the concept behind this is to put yourself out there, enable your voice and keeping yourself in a positive space to do so. The collector for this piece is personally working toward these goals and feels having the piece in his space will reiterate the objectives on a visual basis and motivate him to continue doing so.

I'm so happy these paintings are all living in new homes and will give my new collectors as much joy as it did me to paint them.

group exhibition at studio k2

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 19:19:34 GMT

fall in to creativity . first group show at studio k2

check out the artists in this show, in studio, online or in a virtual tour... great company! www.studiok2.ca/gallery

black & white

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 15:45:00 GMT

like a white room, black & white paintings can be a visual rest stop

In recent years I have gone to white interiors both home and studio. Maybe it's because the palette I paint with is often-times so intense and I like the purity of whites to balance that and give me some visual rest stops. I've had client comments and requests to paint in black and white and decided to take them up on it. It's fun to switch it up sometimes. This is the first one and I'll likely do more. I'm enjoying the idea that relationships are rarely black and white and the multitude of grays that can be achieved in painting has much to say about that.

how do artists critique their own work?

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 19:52:16 GMT

Objectively looking at my paintings...[trying to anyway!]

A critique is not an emotional review. It is intended to be professional, objective and a growth experience. Every so often I have to step back and see where my art has been and where it is going. Sometimes that’s from photo’s of sold paintings but more importantly it’s with my inventory that’s availableand art that I am working on.

I line the pieces up against a wall. Then I put ‘like’ pieces together. The “likes” might be based on the concept or the evolution of a solution to an idea . When I have a group of paintings that are similar to each other I line those up to view the collection.

Then I review the collection and then the individual artwork in terms of concept; content; composition; technique.

Then I critique and assess: how the collection aligns with the story that my series are telling; and I look at the elements within the content - the figures, the colours, the textures, the movement;

I judge the composition - where the focus is, how I lead the eye through and to the focus, what breathing space I give to elements within;

and then technique - whether my skill in execution is improving, is it achieving a portrayal of the emotion and concept I want people to receive, should I look to other artists ? take a course ? practice a technique that will advance both my skill in execution and deliver my ideas in the way I want them to ?

Whether I like a painting or not I evaluate it - sometimes it doesn’t make it to my work for sale, sometimes I rework it, sometimes it inspires a new concept and occasionally I paint over the piece and reuse the canvas.

Collector feedback - comments, analysis and reception by others also feeds my information line on where the work is at or where it’s going.

At the end of this critique session I arrive at realizations, confirmations, affirmations, a to-do list, new directions... in short I continue to develop as an artist.

Do you do this with your own work? Are there other measures you put in place? Sometimes I think it would be simpler to be back in school where we took the work in and had the instructor give their critique on it!

art therapy check-in

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 16:13:45 GMT

a funny revelation (to me lol)

So further to my occupational therapy take-aways (seeing other artists’ work in galleries) - I have started to work on my to-do list. The first one I decided to tackle was leaving parts of the canvas blank, trying to curb my need/desire to fill every inch of the space. That is not to say I don’t leave white space - this is my funny takeaway from giving myself this challenge.

I finished the second piece and then looked around and see that my paintings often have a great deal of white space! I don’t know why that struck me as funny but it did :))

So I had to step back and really look at why I felt the need to tackle this particular exercise. The difference I think was to not apply paint to the areas - allowing the ground (canvas, wood...) to be the integral ‘white’ space to the concept rather than fill that space with white paint.

Stepping out of the comfort zone...
I think the next artwork will have to be on a different ground without prep (ie no gesso) just straight to paint on raw material so that I really feel the ground come through and see what that reveals for me. In fact, that is what happens when working pencil on paper for the most part the white space is the actual paper it’s not put in.

Do you ever do this ? ask yourself a question, think you’re doing something differently and then realize in fact you haven’t made a real change?! Not that there’s anything wrong with that as sometimes I think we just need movement and new motivation but if you implemented a shift in the way or materials or timing of something you already do, what might it do for you? Step out.

feature painting : "this crazy world" oil on canvas, 16x20"

play days!

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 16:34:56 GMT

designed an art-experience for studio visitors - fun!

I was thinking that about the fun I have painting and how that might benefit others so I designed an Airbnb experience to share it!

It was accepted now I can't wait to entertain instudio - I designed a workshop based on figure drawing and painting . a bit of a twist to some of the painting options out there and in my wheelhouse :) I called it 'figure it out - concept to painting fun.'

(you can check it out here... https://www.airbnb.ca)

occupational therapy for an artist

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 17:13:13 GMT

why I go to art exhibitions

Today I went to the Art Gallery of Hamilton to get my fix. I do this once in a while and then I’m reminded I should do it regularly. Years ago someone said to me a show or piece of art will either inspire and motivate you or could throw you into despair. Today, I’m happy to say the show brought me inspiration, ideas and motivation as well as, a new appreciation for the artist - Michael Snow ! This is an exhibit of his early work and really well done.

When you work in a series it’s sometimes difficult to tear yourself away from it - for me, I’m always drawn back to it and have obviously not finished with it. I’ve been working in the same series for over five years now... I do sometimes move to trying new techniques, a bit of mixed media, and levels of abstraction but the subject content and serie’s concepts remain. The show today made me realize it’s okay. When I’m finished with it I’m quite sure I’ll move on to something new - what that might be I have no idea but I’m sure I’ll know when it is time. At this time and after seeing this show I have been inspired to consider some of the takeways I have garnered in seeing Snow’s work.

Some of my takeaways today are:

. magazines, show catalogues, online... there is nothing like seeing art in person;

. I should go back to some of my own foundation basics and do a high realism piece once in a while;
. it’s okay to not fill the whole canvas ie not applying paint to every square inch doesn’t diminish the concept;
. on canvas size... I find I get engulfed in a piece that is very large - the environment around it is in melts away and I’m mesmerized by the colours and textures before me - so i want to do a bigger canvas than I’ve ever done and see how it is to paint within that scenario;

. I tend to manipulate paints to blend and bleed into one another and in so doing I get obsessed with the ‘smooth’ transition of one to another - today I’m reminded that sometimes you need to have stark and true applications of a colour or texture to deliver the concept so I will try to deliberately leave some areas alone and see where that takes the piece;

and finally, (well maybe not)

. I will continue to and ramp up my exploration of mixed media - I love pencil and conté and charcoal and have experimented with them before together with paint but Snow’s work has shown me a new appreciation for it and I will try again.

That’s enough for now! Time to get to work - so much to do - I’ll keep you posted lol

Images above were taken at the Art Gallery of Hamilton Early Michael Snow exhibit — great show! #CanadaUnited

remnants of my past

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 18:16:35 GMT

art & interiors — full circle

You may or may not have checked out my bio to know that I worked many years as an interior designer. This past resurfaces for me in a number of ways the most recent of which is drawing and painting on samples or scraps of fabric from design projects that I’ve had in storage (and are no longer required by suppliers!). It’s a fun way for me to reconnect when I’m feeling nostalgic and a great exploration of new media.

Painting on a tweed upholstery fabric, sketching on silk wallcovering, painting on a paint chip are all very different experiences to working on canvas or cotton drawing paper. I’ve always been drawn to creating texture in my paintings and I think working on these media also helps me expand my capabilities in paint. The colours of the fabric and how the paint colours are affected also lends itself to exploring my painting pallette. As when I worked with interiors, I always brought art to them, I am now bringing interiors to my art.

I have also designed workshops for individuals (thru studiok2.ca) to share my experience in collecting, relating the art to your interior, displaying, installing and co-ordinating collections in homes and businesses.

I love that I can bring my past full circle to my present.

P.S. In fact playing with remnants also inspires me to do mixed media projects ... just starting to get into those but here's one I'm playing with in various combinations - glass and paint on wood.

environmental impact

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 18:42:15 GMT

it's the work not the locale

Thinking today about where people work and how different it might be from my own experience. I have worked in a 9 to 5 office space, in multiple areas of a building, varying shifts and several sites. Now, as an artist, I am very lucky in that my work is portable and it means I can work anywhere. It does mean I have to be flexible and, some locales are easier to adapt to than others but ultimately it means I can create no matter where I am. A sketch book is all I need and when planned - my easel, canvas and paints make new environments accessible.

I find my surroundings influence my work in varying levels. When I'm in studio it's more of a relationship with the canvas and when I'm outside, the climate, the culture and the landscape affect my work more. No matter where I am the concepts are the focus, my process is consistent and the environment might be a consideration.

My paintings have influences. With exterior work some ideas take advantage of the surroundings like sunsets, rain, wind and heat. When I travel the concepts are explored in colour, textures, and body imagery that are directly impacted by the people, the place and the context of creating the work. In-studio these influences and experiences all play out in memory-recall.

Curious to know how many jobs could explore these opportunities...

creative interference

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 19:23:01 GMT

sometimes stuff takes over! new plans, a pandemic, two moves

Early 2020 I leased two spaces - one for studio and a plan I'm putting in place, and the second for home. Then the pandemic hit full force and while I was able to get the moves done it's been challenging. Coupling that with business planning, website building, organizing and the paperwork side of things has been stifling my creative time!! I enjoy the mix of adminstrative stuff that comes with running your own business HOWEVER, some days I find it extremely frustrating (like today!) but I'm nearing the point that I can devote more time to my own art again and I need to. I have been playing with drawings on different media but I'm itching to get back to the canvas and finish a few pieces and get some new ones started. Okay I feel better having vented for a few minutes lol ... stay tuned and you'll see more of what's on the easel soon....

on process...

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Fri, 29 May 2020 20:30:00 GMT

how my paintings evolve

Having been asked many times how I start a painting, where the ideas come from, do I plan it all out etc. etc. I thought I would share the process for a recent piece entitled ‘patterns’.

The constant in my process is journal/sketching... I will sit down and basically write down whatever I’m thinking about - it may be an issue I’m facing, something that has happened to someone I know, maybe a news article or a social media post. Basically I just start writing, at some point I always want to sketch the thought out sometimes it is a single sketch and then straight to painting, often it is more than one and I think about what I’m saying with it or want to say and I continue sketching and making notes until I feel I have a direction for the new painting.

At that point I choose the substrate and size that the art will be and whether it will be in oils or acrylics. When I have that decided, I pickup a brush and do an overall sketch of the piece - no details, just how I’d like to compose the canvas - size of the figure(s), interaction areas between figure(s) and background or foreground. I imagine that while I do this colours and texture are percolating since when I’m ready to work it up they just flow for me. I feel like the concept dictates the colours. I don’t preplan colour and texture I like to let the piece evolve as I work on it. As well, my figures are created from my knowledge base of the human figure and drawing skills - I don’t use photographs or models for paintings.

So ‘patterns’ evolved from my journaling about why I wasn’t moving forward on something and determining that the reason is I was following the same method or ‘pattern’ I always did hence the fact there was no movement. In recognizing that, the concept evolved to my consideration of why and how it happens, what needs to happen to alter it and ultimately the painting is a figure surrounded with a circle path and then how to allow and acknowledge where disruption, intersection and merging may occur to enable change. The hot palette reflects urgency, motion and intensity that these notions bring toward internal thoughts and external actions - both the influences and the considerations. (My figures typically are produced in purples - see my chat ‘the colour of my people’.

When you look at a number of my paintings, you’ll notice varying levels of abstraction - to the figure, background and the texture overall. Again this is not something I plan in advance. I let the concept and drawing dictate the level of abstraction, brushstrokes and motion. I have completely obliterated figures in some and in others they near high realism. For me, as long as the concept is apparent then I’ve done my job and the painting will resonate with collectors that feel it.

While I’m working I take interim photo’s - it helps me remove myself from the painting so that I can cast a critical eye to the process, check to see if I feel the concept is coming through, make changes, build on areas or keep moving forward. I don’t always know when a piece is ‘finished’ - sometimes I work on them a little bit here and there for a very long period of time, or I may determine I need to put it away for a while and revisit to finish or decide if it is finished. Quite often I’m working on several paintings at one time so it’s easy to set it aside and continue on another. Well, I say easy, but sometimes a piece calls out to me very strongly and I may stop on one piece at any given moment, go straight to another painting-in-progress to make a change or hide it away completely.

On titles... as I choose a concept to pursue I often have a working title and then, as I develop the painting, the name will emerge for me. I lean toward always titling my work as I feel it offers access to the concept for my collectors. That being said, I have been tempted many a time to title it as ‘untitled’ — I think that is maybe because the concept is very personal and a little difficult to share. No matter, I have always wrestled with the reveal of self however, given that my work centres around communication, I feel it’s important to share whatever the concept is... if it’s TMI don’t ask - if you want to know ... please do.

body beautiful

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Fri, 29 May 2020 20:29:58 GMT

the figures in my paintings

Nudity strips away preconceived notions and conveys the essence of a concept. Seeing different types of bodies keeps us mindful of the beauty of the differences and similarities we share.

I have always drawn figures from life-drawing studio work to portraits from photographs. I believe when you are able to draw the human figure you are able to draw anything. Proportion, scale, weight, and colour are the foundation for drawing any subject. I'm not sure when my art turned to my series of concepts that always focus on people but figures are essential for the sharing of my concepts.

There is no better way to demonstrate strength, relationship challenges, options and results, than to strip away ideas of an individual and reveal the character of being. The colour of skin, shape of body, sexuality and environment that surround the figure(s) need to be accessible. To that end, I work with body-positive images, flesh tones that are not based on anyone’s reality, sometimes intimate body details or poses, often bold, expressive colours and texture. Sometimes my paintings have recognizable figures in them and other times I abstract them almost beyond recognition to maximize the impact of a concept.

I've been asked many times if I use live models for my work or photographs. I do not. While I have done active sketching of poses, gestures or muscle groups with a model, when I'm painting a concept the figures are all from memory and I guess skills from the years of doing so.

My drawing and paintings of the human form are aided by my love of sculpture. Yes I’m one of those people that would love to run my hands over sculpture to totally enjoy it (but I resist!). However this feeling carries over to my drawings and more particularly to my paintings - when I’m working on a figure I ‘feel’ my hands run over the shape and my brush follows.

I don't see my subject matter and content changing any time soon... but one never knows for sure.

travel inspires art

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 22:16:05 GMT

cities & colour

Experiencing other cultures is critical to my growth as an artist and individual. I take creative retreats or holidays to explore as much as possible. My time away is full of art whether it be galleries, museums, studio tours or contemplation and observation of environments. Whether or not it is a creative retreat, the countries impress concepts on me. Sometimes I sketch and journal them while I’m away and then create the painting when I’m back in studio.

Barcelona inspired a Renaissance style painting for me - with a twist. The first one I did on my return was in the old masters technique juxtaposing figures in poses contra to that period. The other major inspiration came from a visit to a portrait gallery of historically prominent men. This has prompted me to portray a strong contemporary woman in an antique frame. More of that series to come.

Visiting new cities and countries sometimes has me creating pieces that are not my usual subject matter (that being figures). I usually paint an experience from a trip that has a resounding affect on me. I see cities in colour (also fave band!) and one thing or another leaves an impression with me that I like to do a painting of when I get home — it keeps my memories alive and my recall of moments and places vivid.

The whites of Rome and an early morning walk to the Spanish steps inspired this orange. While wandering around I spotted a vendor of fresh fruit. It was so beautifully displayed and incredibly appetizing. My mouth watered when my eyes fell on the bed of oranges. For those of you that don’t know, when you go to a street vendor in Italy, you may peruse the fruit with your eyes but you don’t touch it - you point out your choice of fruit, the vendor picks it up (in gloves) shows it to you for inspection and then you may accept and enjoy the fruit. We sat at the bottom of the steps watching the square come alive as we ate my orange - one of the best I’ve ever had.

A fabulous cacophony of people, sound, architecture and smokey blue moments — Hong Kong. My visit to HK was an amazing venture of masses of people in one moment, beautifully lit buildings, a ride on the ferry to a hike up a mountain. This painting is my memory of the ‘new’ airport and it captures all of my feelings in line, form and colour that this beautiful culture evoked.

Often my concepts come round to the series I have been working for some time (figurative, abstract) and reflect the feelings, meetings, and environment — the romance of St. Lucia, the people of Jamaica, the heat of Barbados. I do believe all of my travel contributes to my palette - the most impactful realization of this was during a retreat in Mérida, Mexico. That series stimulated a palette of bright oranges, yellows and reds that was atypical yet quite regular in my work now.

We should all travel and I will continue to do so as long as I'm able to...

(repost from original site/kk)

the colour of my people

klucoart (karen klucowicz) — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 21:29:56 GMT

purple is not my favourite colour

Recently I’ve been gifted several items that are purple in colour. I discovered that the reason they are purple is because people think that’s my fave colour. Nope. It’s red. This has happened several times in the past… so I decided to investigate the why. Surprisingly obvious once it was pointed out!!

Many of my paintings end up with purple figures in them. Sometimes I deviate from that when I paint with particular people in mind that I see in other colours, or if I want to talk about something that I convey with a particular colour. However, for the most part, I do not predetermine colours rather I let them flow as the concept develops on canvas.

I gravitate to purple because I feel it neutralizes culture and race (and sometimes the gender) of the featured figures. It also symbolizes intuition and wisdom to me. Since the concepts to many of my artworks centre around personal strength and/or relationship development, I feel purple envelopes the ideas and reflects the intent.

(repost from original site/kk)