Painting: Karen Israel

Recently Karen Israel demonstrated PanPastel at the Jerry’s store in West Hartford Connecticut. These are two of the paintings from her demonstration using PanPastel Colors on Pastelmat. In 2017 Karen will be demonstrating again on March 18th (1pm-3pm) at Jerry’s West Hartford (Note: numbers are limited so we recommend signing up early.) More info here: PanPastel Events

“Perfect Landing” – Karen Israel 9 x 12″ PanPastel on grey PastelMat

“On The First Day” – Karen Israel 9 x 12″ PanPastel on grey PastelMat

Karen says: “Two major reasons why I love PanPastel: they are ideal for keeping edges soft while allowing the flexibility to sharpen those edges as the painting evolves. I also love how the pigment sticks to the paper with less buildup of dust… True story: One of these finished works accidentally fell onto my carpet face down and the painting was not at all smudged and there was zero dust and no stain on my white carpet!”

“Calico Blues” – Karen Israel 14 x 11″ PanPastel on PastelMat

About Karen Israel artbykarenisrael.com

Karen is a nationally recognized, award winning artist. Among these many awards and honors Karen is proud to be a Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America, Master Circle Member of the International Association of Pastel Societies, Signature Member and the President of the Connecticut Pastel Society, Artist Member of the Catharine Lorillaird Wolfe Art Club and Artist Member of the Salmagundi Club, NYC. Karen is teacher and instructing demonstrator for many art organizations including The Wethersfield Academy for the Arts, Farmington Valley Arts Center and the Vermont Pastel Society. She has also served as the Juror for the Art Guild of Middletown, Firehouse Gallery and The Vermont Pastel Society’s Member’s Exhibit.

Karen is an artist deeply concerned with creating interesting concept and dynamic composition. Stylistically she strives for agility and lets the mood and form of the subject matter dictate her approach. These disparate subjects are rendered with a strong appreciation for the rigors of formal design coupled with a fearless array of color choices. Karen has been focusing on pastels for the past decade. Once at her easel, she enjoys many pastel surfaces and regularly considers a comprehensive underpainting to influence her vision. Karen’s favorite time to paint is first light when the morning sun softens the natural world and unfailingly reveals unexpected perspectives. Prior to painting full time, Karen worked as a physical therapist and her passion for teaching is evident in her many demonstrations, workshops and rigorous pastel classes.