Karen E. Sutton (b. 1958)

Karen E. Sutton is a representational painter whose subject matter includes still life, florals and landscapes.  She cites painting on location in the plein air tradition and working directly from life "alla prima" in her studio as the most powerful aids in her growth as a painter.  Use of  the chiaroscuro method in still life allows her to impart a deep emotional quality to her canvasses.  Primarily a still life painter, she also enjoys the challenge of outdoor painting as it leads to more stimulating color, value and brushwork from the momentum created under plein air time constraints.  More recently, her landscapes reflect the influence of the tonalist/luminist movement.

With her mother's encouragement, Karen began drawing at an early age and went on to take all the high school art classes available.  She has taken workshops and built an extensive personal library on art and fine artists' techniques.  She credits the teachings and work of Richard Schmid, a Vermont based artist, as her greatest source of practical painting instruction and influence.

A favorite quote comes from Charles W. Hawthorne, who established the Cape Cod School of Art in the late 1800s:  "The job of the artist is to show the world the beauty in the mundane."

Education
Plein Air Painting, Contemporary Art Center, Va. Beach, VA - 2006, 2007
Plein Air Workshop, Hermitage Foundation, Norfolk, VA - 2006

Exhibitions/Awards
FineArtViews July 2010 Painting Competition - Selected for "Favorite 15%" Category
Westport Fine Arts Festival 2010, Westport, CT
Glastonbury On The Green Fine Art & Craft Show 2009 - Third Place
Art on the Half Shell, Urbanna, VA - 2010
Norfolk Collegiate School "Off The Wall" Art Show/Sale - 2009; 2010
Chesapeake Bay Academy Art Show and Sale - 2008, 2009
Charles H. Taylor Cultural Arts Center 2008 Small Works, People's Choice Award
Stockley Gardens Spring/Fall Arts Festivals 2008, 2009; 2010
Governor's Pointe Art Extravaganza - Awarded "Best In Show" in 2008 & 2009
Out & About Norfolk Paint Out - Award of Merit, Purchase Award - 2007; 2009
Norfolk Academy Art Show, Norfolk, VA  - 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Art Show, Suffolk, VA - 2007, 2008, 2009; 2010
Solo Exhibit, Towne Bank, Virginia Beach, VA - 2006, 2007