Karen Julihn

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

For me, creating art is like exploring the unknown. Inspiration often stems from a desire to recapture the unexpected beauty of a moment. I start with an inkling of what I want to create, but I am never completely certain of where I will end up.

The elements of mystery and surprise that accompany the creative process continue to pull me into one adventure after another.

I love to conceptualize an idea for a painting, but I am frequently guided by an intuition about what works and what doesn’t that allows me to drift away from realism. I think great art happens when the artist lets go of imitating realism by allowing a true personality to emerge.

First and foremost, I see myself as a painter experimenting with acrylics, watercolors and oils, but I have also enjoyed dabbling with mixed media, and collage. My bold and colorful style tends to give my work a slightly abstracted appearance.

After graduating from Syracuse University, my creative journey began as a promotional writer and later morphed into helping young people be creative, as I worked as an elementary school teacher following my pursuit of a master’s degree in education from George Mason University. In retirement, I have engulfed myself with art classes through VCU, Community College, and from dozens of professional artists both locally and at Art of the Carolinas workshops in Raleigh, North Carolina. Recently, I have ventured into hosting my own art classes for children and adults.

As an award-winning artist, my work has earned recognition at various shows in the area including the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, the King George Art Show, Liberty Town Art Center and at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond. As a member artist at Brush Strokes Gallery in downtown Fredericksburg, and at AAJTFA, I continue to display my work and enjoy the company and talent of fellow compatriot artists.