Artist's Statement

 Karen A Matte

Artist's Statement

The very act of creating art provides me with great challenge, joy, and fulfillment.   An ancient Confucian saying summarizes how I feel about my painting----"The Journey is the Reward."

In my art, I seek to capture my feelings about my subject more than the specifics of a place or a thing.  My goal is to connect with the viewer through a shared feeling, time or place evoked by my art, and therefore, I focus on those qualities of my subjects that are timeless and universal.  The most satisfying compliments I can receive about a painting are that the collector experienced a sense of serenity, mystery, anticipation or other mood when they viewed my painting, or that the painting recreated for them a familiar moment or sense of place.

My style is largely representational, but to achieve my goal, I may change the way elements are presented or use a special light or color.   Although I have worked in acrylics and pastels, I love painting with oils.  Not surprisingly, the artists who most inspire me are also oil painters.   John Sargent and others of the American Impressionist schools delight me with their colors, compositions and brush strokes, while George Inness and contemporary artists Russell Chatham, Kevin Fitzgerald, Ray Turner, and Richard Schmid thrill me with the dramatic landscapes they create.  These inspirations are guiding my work towards a looser and bolder style.

No matter what directions I may follow, I awaken every day knowing I will find new inspiration and excitement in the sights, subjects, artists, or colors I may encounter and that these new influences will be find their way into my art.