Meet Karen Kaysen | Realist Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Kaysen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I grew up in a family of creative people. My parents were writers and educators, and their circle of friends were musicians and visual artists. After graduating college, I moved to NYC, living a few blocks from Lincoln Center in an apartment building that housed aspiring dancers and opera singers. I began working as a trainee in textile design and taking art classes at the Art Students League in NYC, immersing myself in this creative world. Quite fortuitously, I roomed with the niece of Raphael Soyer, the renowned Impressionist painter. Upon seeing my work, Soyer encouraged me to pursue an art career.

While working in New York City, I sketched the diverse riders I encountered on the subway. I enrolled in classes at the Art Students League, where I refined my craft and simultaneously pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art at New York University. As my expertise grew, I had an opportunity to share my knowledge with others, teaching art at Fordham Preparatory School. My sketches turned into prints: etchings, lithographs, and woodcuts exhibited at the Paula Ansel Gallery and the National Arts Club of New York.

Lured by the California sunlight, I moved to the West Coast and began painting in oil. Inspired by the decorative nature of textiles and tapestry, I started a career in interior scenes and still-life painting. The lines of lithography and etching gave way to large masses of color dramatized by the play of light and dark.

While traveling abroad, particularly in cities bordering the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Bosphorus, I found an abundance of imagery that captured my imagination. My landscapes are a medley of shadow against reflective light, bold abstract shapes against delicately defined renderings. More recently, my travels include India and North Africa, observing and painting women at work in the fields and in the marketplace.

My work found its way into the hands of private collectors across the United States, and my art became a fixture in renowned galleries, shaping my identity as an artist over the past two decades. I received 1st Prize in Oil from the Society of Western Artists 38th Annual Exhibition in San Francisco and have been a featured artist in American Artist magazine.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Although my artistic style has evolved over the years, I have always had an affinity for realism: in particular, scenes of urban life. In my travels over the years, throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and India, I have always focused on the contrast of light and dark and the brilliance of color. More recently, I have moved into portraiture and vignettes of people at work.

Some examples of my work include (see attached jpegs)

• Along the Venetian Canal, the early morning light and mist hovering over the passageway.
• Turkish Carpets, the brilliance of the red against the slow movement of the horse and rider.
• Gathering the Nets father and son at work, the tug boat awash in muted shapes and color
• Margao Marketplace, figures in shadow, the light source behind them.
• Harbor on the Bosphorus is a tranquil scene amidst the chaos of boats and harbor debris.
• Afternoon Reverie portraiture of a young man and his companions.
• Happy Hour, Rome detail of the figure in the foreground against the softer imagery of the background.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m fortunate enough to live near the Santa Monica mountains. One of my favorite spots to visit is the hiking trails through lush canyons adorned with vibrant flora and panoramic Pacific Ocean vistas.

If you enjoy the theater, catch a play at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood. I’ve attended several excellent performances at this state-of-the-art theater with world-class acting and work by acclaimed playwrights.

I love Italian food, so I highly recommend Toscanova in Calabasas. Their seafood is fantastic, and a beautiful place to celebrate a special event.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The Art Students League of New York has become my sanctuary, my home away from home. Over the years, this remarkable institution has been more than just a place of learning; it has been a nurturing haven where I’ve continuously honed my artistic skills and experienced tremendous growth as an artist. Surrounded by a vibrant community of aspiring and accomplished artists, each day spent within these walls is a treasure trove of inspiration and camaraderie. The Art Students League has been instrumental in shaping my artistic journey and a refuge of creative expression.

Image Credits
Karen Kaysen, Rob Liggins