Tina S. Gagnon
Artist Statement
Nature & Nostalgia – Those are the subjects that I am, pardon the pun, drawn to. I am a hyper-realistic artist and the “devil is in the details – the more details, the better.
The medium of colored pencil affords me the ability to hone in on that aspect. Nature has so many nuances that detail is imperative to capture the essence of a living being, whether it is flower or animal.
Nostalgia also lends itself to detail. The more detail, the more the image will come alive for the viewer — evoking their own memories attached to that particular object in the drawing.
After choosing what I will draw, I lightly sketch out an outline of my subject. I start by coloring light to dark. Building up the color in light layers, building up and building up until the color “pops”. This is usually accomplished in five to six layers of color. When you think that the piece looks “dull”, keep building — and it will come alive.
I will work on one area of the drawing and finish that area before moving on to the next, establishing technique for the rest of the piece to follow. Patience, is the key to my art. Most pieces I spend about an hour per square inch. More complex pieces can be twice that time. It is not uncommon for a piece to have more than one hundred hours put into it.
In the Display Case
Karan S. Penton finds inspiration for her artwork everywhere she looks. Heavily inspired by the patterns, lines, and colors, found in nature Karan creates pieces that are organic and thoughtful.
Born in New York, Karan started taking lessons as a child. She states that she “dabbled” with art, but was never terribly serious about what she made. Over the last few years while living in Connecticut Karan had gone through many changes that we associate with the Covid pandemic. She left her career as a sonographer in order to help care for her family at the start of the pandemic. It was during that time in which Karan began to pursue her artist interests again. Initially the work she produced was in acrylics and as she found her path, she ventured into watercolor, ink, and jewelry making. Watercolor and ink pieces allow Karan to truly free her ideas onto paper. They are her favorite media.
The pandemic that seemed to stifle in so many ways brought an opportunity that allowed Karan the time and means to create on a regular basis. If asked who her artistic influences are, she would likely say “everything and everywhere.” As for specific artists, the list is quite long and varied: Seurat, Matisse, O’Keefe, Kahlo, Klimt, Yayoi Kusama, Murakami, Kara Walker, Xiaodong, Kehinde Wiley, David Hockney, Joyce Kamikura, Jean-Michael Basquiat, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby to name a few. It is these artists who inspire some of the forms Karan uses in her paintings.
Karan’s jewelry designs are fluid and informal. They use the swirls that Karan frequently features as a modern, contemporary play on wire weaving. The designs are not forced rather they are simple, clean, and natural. She often says that the stone itself determines its setting.
You may find Karan’s work on WWW.ArtPal.com/k_shapiro. She greatly appreciates the warmth and support she has received artistically from both family and patrons