Karen Sewell

Medium

Oil and Pastel

Artist Statement

I have had a need to create all of my life. As a child, I would fill sketchbooks and notebooks that my Dad bought for me with drawings of birds and animals. I loved the outdoors. The small dramas being played out in nature would end up on the pages of my sketchpads. I also loved to listen to my elders relate the stories of past long gone, their childhoods.

Between raising my family and living the military life with my very supportive husband, I have diligently developed my own style which I feel is still evolving and growing. Getting involved in various art groups along the way has helped fuel my creativity. Now that we have settled “back home”, I am devoting myself to a full-time career in fine art.

I paint subjects that touch on my experiences and memories. These are the things that I am familiar with from growing up in the rural mountains of Southwest Virginia. I feel that the past intermingles with the present and influences the future. My inspiration comes from observing the small vignettes of everyday life. These stories are nostalgic reminders of where we came from and hints of where we are going.

Shows and Awards

59th Annual Virginia Highlands Festival Juried Fine Arts Show Honorable Mention
Jacksonville Center Mountain Colors 2008 Exhibit Peoples Choice Award
Jacksonville Center Sixth Annual New Works Exhibit Peoples Choice Award
Piedmont Arts Expressions 2008, First Place Drawing
Piedmont Arts Expressions 2006, Award of Merit and Purchase Award
Montgomery Museum Fine Arts Festival 2005, Honorable Mention- Oil
Montgomery Museum Fine Arts Festival 2004, First Place-Etched Glass
Montgomery Museum Fine Arts Festival 2003, First Place Award- Pastel

Contact

Art’s It
2045 Duncans Chapel Road NW
Willis, VA 24380

540-763-2862

www.karensewellartist.com

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Title:

Glory Days

Type:

Painting

Medium:

Oil

Subject:

Landscape

Style:

Impressionistic Realism

Surface:

Canvas

Size:

30" x 40"

Description:

Clear Autumn Day

Date:

05/01/05

Page created: April 3, 2006

© 1997 The Arts Council of the Blue Ridge. All rights reserved.