'Learning to Look' Art Series Features Painter Karen Hollingsworth
This month, AIS features oil painter Karen Hollingsworth. Karen lives and works in Atlanta, where she has been exhibiting her work since 2001. Her work is classed as realism.
Karen had a previous career as a nurse before becoming a full time artist. As she explains on her website, karenhollingsworth.com:
"It feels like it took a long time, down a winding road, to become a painter. Along the road there were many detours. Becoming a nurse in my early twenties took me down a different path for many years. But there were experiences I had as a nurse that have helped me become a better painter, as well as a better person.
"When I finally decided to pursue art as a career, my first ambition was to paint portraits. Although I feel that I attained success in this area, I realized that I sometimes enjoyed painting the backgrounds as much as the people. This led me to paint what I'm doing now, roomscapes.
"I'm trying to recreate the experience found when a room is bathed in strong sunlight, transforming simple human things, chairs, beds, paper bags, into objects of beauty."
Karen will be in school on February 13 to talk to the students about her work and her career.
She is represented by the Twinhouse Gallery, located at 2815 Peachtree Road. Her exhibition is showing from February 2–28. For more information about the artist or the exhibition, please call 404-233-3433.
We hope you enjoy her pieces in the Sports & Activities Center.