Courage To, pumice, oil, oil stick, paper, wax medium

Karen Rovner currently works in a studio in North Andover, Massachusetts. Her artwork represents an intuitive style of painting, with the artist often beginning her works without a plan, and using her aesthetic instincts to produce each composition.

After the Election, oil, cold wax

I find the mixture of abstraction and figuration in Karen’s portfolio quite interesting. The artist has said that her intuitive way of working often results in the unintentioned reproduction of recognizable objects and spaces. I wonder if the majority of the artist’s figurative works were planned this way, or if they were happy accidents.

Karen's portfolio website

Given the abstract nature of the majority of Karen’s works, I find that the artist’s paintings tend to offer a glimpse into a particular mood or atmosphere more than a specific time or place. In some cases it’s both -- like in the artist’s recent painting After the Election. In others, like Upstairs bathroom, third floor in Hamden CT, the tone is still the clear focus, but it in and of itself is much more benign.

Upstairs bathroom, third floor in Hamden, CT, oil on canvas