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Visual Language
February 2015 Volume 4 No. 2
contemporary fine art
Karen Margulis
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Karen Margulis
kemstudios.blogspot.com
kemstudios.blogspot.com
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Karen Margulis
My journey with pastels began ten years ago. Busy raising my two children, I had not touched a paintbrush in 20 years. Pastel was the perfect medium for me. I was working full time and pastels were easy to leave out allowing me to paint in my free time. I was also drawn to pastels by their vibrancy and the immediate gratification they provide. With pastels what you see is what you get. The colors never fade, crack or yellow. There is no drying time or mixing paint. They can be layered for infinite interest. They are versatile, easily mixing with other media. Clean up is easy. Most of all I was seduced by the tactile nature of pastels. You just pick up a stick of color and paint! Like any new painter, I was anxious to get past the ‘pastel painting learning curve’ so I challenged myself to paint a small daily painting and post it to my blog.... just to keep me accountable. What happened as a result, I could never have imagined. Not only did I start to get comfortable with the pastels and improve as an artist, I met the most wonderful people online. People who shared my passion for art, nature, travel. People who encouraged me and motivated me to keep paint-
ing everyday. Daily painting and blogging became my refuge and my passion. Soon I began sharing what I was learning about pastels and painting on my blog. It became a teaching tool. I now paint and teach full time. It is a joy to be able to share the wonderful medium of pastel through my workshops and my blog. In addition to considering myself a Daily Painter I also love painting en plein air. I have several pastel kits suited to different situations. There is nothing better than being outside observing and responding to the scene with pastels. I consider my plein air paintings studies and I often use them to develop larger paintings in the studio. My plein air experiences have taught me valuable painting skills. I have learned to simplify and find what is important in a scene quickly. This year I will be sharing my love of pastels around the world as I travel to teach workshops. I will also present two demos at the Biennial convention of the International Association of Pastel Societies. I am happy to be an ambassador for this wonderful medium.
Meadow Music 8 x 10 kemstudios.blogspot.com
kemstudios.blogspot.com
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Karen Margulis
Arrival of the Canvas
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Karen Margulis
Mountain Meadow 8 x 10 kemstudios.blogspot.com
Blue Skies Ahead 18 x 24 kemstudios.blogspot.com
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Karen Margulis
Summer Reprise 11 x 14
kemstudios.blogspot.com
Moody Marsh 18 x 24
kemstudios.blogspot.com
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Karen Margulis
I was born in Connecticut, grew up in South Florida, and spent summers in the North Carolina Mountains. I currently live in Marietta, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. I graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Education. I operated a family day care for 21 years so that I could stay home with my own 2 children. We traveled every summer with the kids and tried to visit every National Park. Most of my paintings are inspired by the photos I took on these adventures. I am now painting and teaching pastel classes and workshops full time. I am represented by several galleries in the Southeast as well as several online galleries. I am a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society and a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America. I have also achieved Master Circle status with the International Pastel Society of America.
kemstudios.blogspot.com
Where the Fairies Play
kemstudios.blogspot.com
kemstudios.blogspot.com