Studio Blog which includes news, paintings in progress, personal statements, and any other updates about Karen Silve.
Karen Silve at the Venice 2024 Art Biennial - Personal Structures
I am thrilled to be a part of this exhibition in Venice! My work will be on the 1st floor of Palazzo Mora with a special opening on Friday November 19th. See more to give you a better understanding of the importance of this exhibition.
Read MoreFrance to Venice — so much to share!
I'm excited to share with you that I have embarked on an artistic pilgrimage to France for nine months! France and Europe have long captivated my inspiration, ever since I went to art school here as a young student. Now I have the opportunity to immerse myself fully in their rich cultural tapestry. I arrived in February and soon after went to Venice for the installation of my work for the biennial exhibition "Personal Structures".
Wow! What a whirlwind getting ready for Personal Structures, the 7th Biennial exhibition by the European Cultural Center in Venice. It opens April 20th!
I was relieved that all of my artwork made it safely to France. In France I made sure the canvases stretched properly on their new stretcher bars, then rolled them up and drive them to Venice. It was a fantastic drive over the alps, and then, I arrived at one of the most beautiful cities in the world!
Read MoreReflecting - Winter Solstice
Wishing you and your loved ones a very warm holiday! And to embrace the darkness and the light to come on this winter solstice.
Read MoreThank you to the Oregon Arts Commission and The Ford Family Foundation
I am a proud recipient of the Career Opportunity Grant from the Oregon Arts Commission! See the Press-Release here.
I applied for the grant after I was invited to be a part of Personal Structures 2024, a 7-month exhibition in Venice by the European Cultural Center (ECC). Because this is in conjunction with La Biennale di Venezia from April 20th - Nov. 24th, 2024, the most focused art enthusiasts from the world will come to Venice as an art destination.
Read MoreNEW WORKS — KAREN SILVE
I'm excited to share with you these two new paintings inspired by my travels in Italy and France. They are on their way to the Madison Gallery in California. I've also included a commissioned artwork I finished at the end of last year for a Miami client. Plus, my solo exhibition at the Calloway Fine Art & Consulting Gallery in Georgetown going on right now!
Read MoreThe artworks in my latest exhibition, The Sea & Shore, Finding Balance, were inspired by the journey I took this past summer from my studio in Provence to Italy, traveling between Venice and the Cinque Terre, where I enjoyed experiencing two shorelines. From the grandeur of Venice to the Cinque Terre’s cliff-side peasant villages, the interplay of these colorful old-world landscapes with the majestic sea created a colorful dance.
Read MoreAfter visiting Venice this Spring, I returned to my studio in France and painted these five paintings.
I had never been to Venice, but always wanted to go one day. The day came this year, thanks to the European Cultural Council for contacting me about a possible exhibition opportunity in 2024. I decided to go and check out the ECC and the Biennale that opened in April and continues through November of this year.
Read MoreI am very honored to have my artwork in this incredible Ferry! Brittany Ferries latest ship, Salamanca, promises a smooth and quiet voyage with lower emissions being their first to use LNG (liquefied natural gas). The Ferry goes from Portsmouth UK to Bilbao Spain. On the interior, the design team wanted to embody the sights, sounds and tastes of the region she will serve giving passengers an experience of their destination from the moment they step on board. From delicious food and comfortable cabins, to fine art. I’m honored they chose my large paintings to be featured in the main atrium which embodies the spirit of the city of Salamanca, and Spain in general. My smaller works are also featured in the Portside Forward Lounge. I am thrilled!
Read MoreKaren Silve at the Confluence of Courage and Hope - Essay by Richard Speer
Sometimes beauty alights as gently as dewdrops on the morning grass; other times it has to climb and claw its way up a dark crevasse until against all odds it emerges into the light of day. That latter brand of tenacious, hard-won beauty is central to the origin story of Rejuvenation: My Bouquet, Karen Silve’s sumptuous and inspiring new work.
When I thought it couldn’t get worse… it did. Portland suffered from a lot of destruction downtown and nationalized riots. Then the wild fires came and Portland was under smoke for a couple of weeks. I couldn’t see my neighbor’s house and the smoke leaked into my old 1911 house. All of the sudden seeing any friends, indoor or out, was impossible. I closed off my house and stayed in one room with my studio air cleaner. A continuous claustrophobia overwhelmed me. I felt like I couldn’t breath.
Read MoreJune 2020 - COVID has changed us forever and interrupted our lives. Uncertainty is something we live with now. However, some of these changes brings us more strength.
Read MoreWith thee surgeries this year, it has been an extremely challenging year. In reflection, this painting “Savoring Moments” makes me happy and appreciate my experiences, travels and most importantly, the people who have given me great opportunities and surrounded me with hope and great memories! I’m savoring all of those memories now! This painting was inspired by all of the sights and smells while meandering through Old Town Nice, France :)
Read MoreWow, what a day! I started with a morning kayaking trip, then the afternoon took my breath away after seeing “Fabienne Verdier - Sur Les Terres de Cézanne” exhibition at the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence. Her spirit captured me. Sometimes everything in the day just falls into place, one action after another giving a sense of purpose.
Read MoreLife changes create new ideas and new work. I had a lot of life changes in 2018. These works reflect those changes. I decided to share the process I went through to develop this highly personal body of work. They will be exhibited in Washington DC at Susan Calloway Fine Art in Georgetown. Opening Reception is May 4th.
Read MoreIn France this past summer, I experienced flying in an two person airplane. When my family friend invited me up, I said “yes” without hesitation, but knew I was going to have to face my fears since I’m claustrophobic.
Facing my fears was something I was going through in my own personal life. After a break up with a life partner and living in France in which I struggled communicating, I had a weight in my gut every morning that I didn’t know how to get rid of. These insecurities slowly tore away at me. I felt beholden to my own fears.
Read MoreUpon reflecting over this past year, I feel very blessed. Thank you all for your continued support! I truly appreciate it!
Sending good wishes for this holiday season and into the new year!
Read More“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie
Read MoreI finally have my own french kitchen. The large doors in my studio apartment open up to the wheat fields in the countryside at the base of the Alps. It’s quite beautiful.
Read MoreAfter 4 weeks of french language school then traveling to Paris, some artworks really stood out.
Read More
