As an artist, Karen Shelton achieves
paintings that emit and evince a human experience. Her subject matter
consists of the everyday, and yet she has mastered that quality that makes
a painting successful. She reaches further, beyond the abstract and
the representational, into an intimate spirituality that consists of her
individual way of seeing things balanced against the personal experiences
that each viewer brings to his interaction with her paintings.
In building her compositions of
beautiful and comfortable common objects, Karen Shelton challenges the
complacency with which we as viewers see and by-pass these very subjects.
She is not building static still-life scenes, but vignettes that see a
dramatic play between light and dark; between treasured and overlooked.
In addition to the many
private and corporate collections that boast her work, she has watercolors
in the permanent collections of the Portsmouth Museum in Portsmouth,
Virginia, and the Caswell Council for Arts and History in North Carolina.
Karen Shelton currently shows her work at outdoor shows and festivals, and
at her studio in South Boston, Virginia.
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Résumé:
Karen Shelton is a signature member of the Virginia Watercolor Society
and the Southern Watercolor Society.
Selected Juried Shows, Festivals & other exhibitions:
| 2005 |
Virginia Watercolor Society Annual Show, Charlottesville, VA
Southern Watercolor Society Annual Show, Panama City, FL
Avenue of the Arts, Charlotte, NC
Sidewalk Art Show, Roanoke, VA |
| 2004 |
Arts Alive, Ocean City, MD
Avenue of the Arts, Charlotte, NC |
| 2003 |
Challenge of Champions, Houston, TX
Centerfest, Durham, NC |
Recent Awards & Distinctions:
| 2005 |
"Best in Show" Avenue of the Arts, Charlotte, NC
"Award of Distinction" Art on the Lawn, Danville, VA
"Allen Ingles Palmer (Best Watercolor Award)" Sidewalk Art Show, Roanoke, VA |
| 2004 |
"John Will Creasy Memorial Award, Best Watercolor" Sidewalk Art Show, Roanoke, VA
"Best Watercolor" Arts Alive, Ocean City, MD
Published: invited to be included in "How Did You Paint That? 100 Ways to Paint Flowers & Gardens" |
Upcoming Events for 2005:
| August 27 & 28 |
Seawall Art Show - Portsmouth, Virginia |
| September 10 & 11 |
Brandywine Art Show - Wilmington, Delaware |
| October 2 |
An Affair for the Arts - Williamsburg, Virginia |
| October 8 & 9 |
Centerfest - Durham, North Carolina |
| October 15 & 16 |
Stockley Art Show - Norfolk, Virginia |
Selected Review Comments:
| ". . . I am a firm believer that artists can and should bring beauty and fresh vision to our lives. The Best-In-Show, Karen Shelton, "Reflections of Serenity and Joy", was noteworthy for its seamless merger of technical virtuosity, synbolism, and surprising beauty . . ." |
- Mark Scala, Chief Curator & Director of Education, Art Museum of Western Virginia
Judge's Remarks, 1998 Annual Lynwood Artists Show |
| " . . . great composition and mastery of watercolor . . ." |
- John Wetenhall, Ph. D., Director of Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, Tennessee
Judge's Remarks, 1996 Dimensions
on "Old McDonald Had Some Toys" (Graphic Dimensions Award) |
| "Lois' Clematis/Rainbow" by Karen Shelton is one of the most interesting pieces in the show in regard to a sense of depth. It is hard to tell where collage ends and painting elements begin. The engagement with the materials is what makes this image work." |
- Carol Burch-Brown, Associate Provost Virginia Tech
Judge's Remarks, 1992 Annual Lynwood Artists members Only Show
comments regarding the DuPont Merit Award |
| " . . . Shelton is a master when working with watercolor. In her work you see boldness, life, exhilaration." |
- Heather Yates, The Gazette-Virginian
09/03 reviewing The Prizery Art show, South Boston, Virginia |
| " . . . Particularly effective use of watercolor medium. For all the attention to the optical realism, there was an unmannered treatment of the watercolor. Sense of immediacy in the handling. Effective broad washes as well as the small more articulated marks. Very effective image." |
- William G. White, Associate Professor of Art, Hollins College
Judge's Remarks, 1990 Lynwood Artists Show
on "Peaches and Shadow" (Merit Award") |
| " . . . pushed further than realism . . . well composed work . . . has impact . . . most compelling . . ." |
- John Will Creasy, Artist & Co-founder Virginia Watercolor Society
Judge's Remarks, 1991 Lynwood Artists Show
on "Tempus Rufus" (Best-in-Show) |
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