Holiday Studio Sale

Bipolar Balance: An Ode to van Gogh acrylic on canvas, 48x48 $1,900


Greetings! I am embarking on a whole new direction with my art. To focus on what I hope to accomplish, I need to make space-- in my studio, in the gallery and in my mind. I am offering for sale older works, some not available previously, some favorites, some new and unusual. Take a peek and enjoy, if you have any questions or comments-- feel free to post here or contact me directly. All the work is is offered at 50% off retail gallery price just in time for gift-giving!






















SOLD
George Thorogood and The Destroyers at Del Mar Music Festival 2006
acrylic on canvas board, 16x20 framed (contemporary black wood) $525 unframed $465

When I paint for fun I love to let my hand "dance" to live music. Summer of 2006 was the start of my LIVE EVENT PAINTING at Del Mar Music Festival with several canvases and lots of energy! These were painted spontaneously, in less time than the band's set! The Destroyers were last to play, and the sun went down at the end of their first song.

I always try to work the whole canvas so that at any point I have to stop, the painting looks "finished." When is it finished? That's the hard part. With these-- I usually just leave them alone so I don't get too tight, try to make it "perfect."





















SOLD
Little Feat at Del Mar Music Festival 2006
acrylic on canvas board, 16x20 unframed $425

You really can ruin a painting by over-doing it. I like the energy and life these capture; and the loose, gestural quality. My art teachers always told me to "loosen up."
If they could see me now.























Trio with Bass at Del Mar Music Festival 2006
acrylic on canvas board, 16x20 unframed $425

Of the four I painted that day-- I think this is my favorite.























SOLD
Trio with Guitar at Del Mar Music Festival 2006
acrylic on canvas board, 16x20 unframed $425



Redlands Palms, 12x9, giclee print on canvas framed $125 unframed $75

I painted the original several years ago, plein air (out doors) and alla prima (in one session) at a yearly retreat in Redlands, CA.
























Spinning Blooms, 20x16, acrylic on canvas $425

Also painted plein air, alla prima on my one of my loyal collector-friends' back patio. The wind was blowing and the hanging pots really were spinning!



Sunlight of the Spirit, mixed media on gallery-wrap canvas, 36x36 (painted edge-- no frame needed) $950

This is acrylic paint, with oil pastel on paper mounted to painted canvas. My son called it the Big Bang. To me it's like the nucleus of life, the power force of energy, the center of the universe... maybe it is the Big Bang?



Catalina Quick Sketch, 12x16, acrylic on canvas board framed $245

Another plein air, alla prima study painted while waiting for my boat in Avalon, Catalina Island, CA-- one of my very favorite places to be, to relax and paint.



Fire Dancers, 24x24, acrylic on gallery-wrap canvas
(painted edge-- no frame needed) $735

This is another Live Event Painting, capturing the street festivities during the 2007 Tour des Artistes at the East Village Art Walk, on Linden Avenue in Long Beach, CA. The name says it-- fire dancers swirling their flames at twilight.



Thanksgiving: The Number One Killer of Women
collage and paint on paper, 14x11, matted and framed behind glass 25x21 $375

These two pieces were done with leftovers from an art class I taught some kids.
We made collages that "said something."

Need I say more?


The Human Chain
collage and paint on paper, 14x11, matted and framed behind glass 25x21 $375


Both pieces are in beautiful matching golden wood frames and make a nice set.

Buy both for $625.


Be sure to check back, or subscribe to my blog. I will be posting more work for sale, featuring new live event paintings, and other works in progress.

Call 714-280-5939 or email: info@karenwallgarrison.com

Thank you for visiting!

Recent Live Event Paintings

Most of the requests I get for my "live event artist" services are for weddings. I really enjoy painting at such joyful occasions in the most beautiful settings, with great energy surrounding me to fuel my artistic sensibilities.


Hawaiian Sunset Wedding

Although I didn't have the pleasure of traveling to Hawaii with the bride and groom, I did get to paint live at their reception working from photos taken during their tropical wedding.

Wedding at St. Michael's Church, Newport Beach

This was my first church wedding. The bride wanted the stained glass windows to be a dominant feature of the composition. The sun casting light through the windows really made the church glow.

Wedding at Gentile's, Coto De Caza

The leaves on the trees were turning golden, and the color scheme of the bride's flowers created a beautiful fall theme for an October wedding.

Wedding at Rancho Capistrano

This is such a romantic spot and was really fun to paint with the reflections and even the two love birds in the water.

Tuscany Watercolor Sketch

This is the rendering I presented to Kay for her Tuscany painting. I always do one or more preliminary drawings or color studies for client approval before I start painting. This was done using watercolor pencil. First I draw with the colored pencil, then "paint" over my drawing with water for a watercolor effect.

Kay's Tuscany

Yesterday I delivered the commissioned painting (shown above). It is acrylic on canvas, 40"x30" and painted from a number of photos I gathered of the Tuscan landscape. So it is an "original composition" because the exact scene doesn't really exist. It is meant to convey the essence of Tuscany.

I met with Kay at her home. She showed me where the painting would hang, and two framed watercolor prints to match the color palette. She wanted something similar to one I did at an event last year (shown below, oil on canvas, 16"x20"), also painted from several photos of Tuscany.

I would like to go there and paint plein air, but in the meantime— photos provide great inspiration!