Karin Kepler Springer

As an artist I work to create art that evokes an emotional response from viewers. I have chosen oil paint and soft pastels as my mediums. I find that my oil paintings are generally more abstract or contemporary while my pastel paintings are more realistic but I don’t follow any strict rules. I believe that I am first and foremost a ‘colorist.’

I love the immediacy of pastels as they align with my temperament. I can paint and draw at the same time. I am thrilled with the vibrancy of the colors and the fact that they do not need drying time. They are also very forgiving which helps me to rework my pastel paintings quickly. I am relatively new to the pastel world and I have worked hard to make this medium ‘sing’ on the paper.

When I begin an abstract painting I have no expectations or specific ideas in mind. I like to work on a large canvas. I am not guided by strategy or intellect but instead by the colors and shapes that form on the canvas and which are then spread by my pallet knife. All of my abstract paintings evolve from a process of layering and excavating. Sometimes during this process features of the external world emerge: a cityscape, a landscape and if I am lucky, images of people. When these features emerge I try to work with them and give them more importance. If no features emerge I play with colors and work to create a pleasing balance that resonates with me.

Painting is a passion of mine. It is important because painting helps me to understand the complexities of what I see and how I feel. Thus, I use art as a means of interpreting the world as I see it and also as I hope to see it. I also use painting as a means of meditation which is calming in an increasingly complex world.