About Karen
Baltimore City
Karen Warshal earned her MFA at Tufts University in conjunction with the Boston Museum School and her B.A at the University of Pennsylvania. Her interest and training in classical art began in 1988 when she studied at the Parker School of Structural Sculpture in Bethesda. She then spent several years in museums in Italy, Denmark and Hungary copying after the antique. In 1995, she came to Baltimore where she studied at the Schuler School of Fine Arts. Ms. Warshal teaches "Portrait Drawing" and "… more
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Figures, 2002-2015
Drawing the human figure is central to the training of an artist. I did the painting "Il Pugilista" this past summer along with the drawing for it. There also are a few life drawings I've done over the years as well as a biblical painting. As you can see, I'm interested in the classical aesthetic in particular. In fact, one of these is a drawing of a sculpture in did in Italy.
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molly-nude.jpg
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Consulting Cupidcharcoal on handmade paper, 15" X 28"
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seated female nudecharcoal on handmade paper, 16" X 21"
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male nudecharcoal on handmade paper
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Bathshebaoil on linen, 16" X 24"
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sculpturecharcoal on handmade paper, 16" X 24"
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Resisting Temptation: Joseph with the Wife of Potifaroil on linen, 22" X 30" Joseph, turned both towards and away from the wife of Potiphar, seeks divine help as he struggles to resist temptation. Set in a contemporary interior, the story becomes personal and immediate. The bowl of perfect, untouched apples in the lower left confirms Joseph’s success at resistance.
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La Pugilista, drawinggraphite with sanguine and white on toned paper, 2015
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Il Pugileoil on linen, 18" X 24", 2015
Portraits
Portraiture
I spent many years only drawing and doing sculpture in preparation for painting portraits. Here I have included five drawings and five paintings. All portraits were done from life in my studio, and all of the paintings were done with natural light. Portraiture is perhaps my favorite subject. There's nothing like watching a person's personality unfold on his or her face as you paint them. I've been teaching portraiture for years, and I always tell my students to watch for the small movements that lend expression to the sitter. If a snapshot captures a moment in time, the artist working from life has the opportunity to observe and document the inner person as it manifests itself over time.
I spent many years only drawing and doing sculpture in preparation for painting portraits. Here I have included five drawings and five paintings. All portraits were done from life in my studio, and all of the paintings were done with natural light. Portraiture is perhaps my favorite subject. There's nothing like watching a person's personality unfold on his or her face as you paint them. I've been teaching portraiture for years, and I always tell my students to watch for the small movements that lend expression to the sitter. If a snapshot captures a moment in time, the artist working from life has the opportunity to observe and document the inner person as it manifests itself over time.
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RickCharcoal on paper, 20 X 27"
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PamelaOil on linen 16" X 20" 2007
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JohnOil on panel 9" X 10" 2004
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Christopheroil on linen, 12" X 16"
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Ed ReadingOil on linen 16" X 20" 2008
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MeganCharcoal on handmade paper 15" X 17"
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GeorgeCharcoal on handmade paper 18" X 24" This is a portrait of my friend George, who sadly died last year at the age of 40. George was kind, creative, funny and one of the most unusual people I've ever known. He had the talent of making each person who knew him feel that they were special when he was with them. For his memorial, Sasha's restaurant closed on a Sunday and hosted a moving afternoon dedicated to George. The place was packed with people, all of whom were George's friends. I did this drawing several years ago, when George was living on the second floor of a Bolton Hill house and I was living on the first floor. The casual quality of the portrait is so George. The minute you met him, you felt you'd always known him. This is the only portrait I've ever done that has a bare foot in it.
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MikeCharcoal on handmade paper 16" X 20"
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Andrewoil on linen, 18" X 24" 2010 This a portrait of my nephew Andrew who sat for me with great discipline. His bar mitzvah portion dealt with many episodes from the life of Abraham. The background is a copy of a detail of Peter Paul Ruben's "The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek" at the National Gallery of Art.
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ConnerCharcoal on handmade paper, 16" X 20"
2009-2010
This group includes a variety of subjects: still lifes, biblical paintings, a bar mitzvah portrait and a drawing. Subject matter is important, but the true concerns of a painter are light, form, composition, value and color. The subject must be conveyed through this visual vocabulary.
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Head of the Winesack Bearergraphite on paper, 15" X 20 2010 Last summer I taught a portraiture class at MICA. Watching my students do such beautiful drawings inspired me to do a highly finished pencil drawing. I've had this cast of the "Winesack Bearer" for many years and hadn't drawn it in a long time. Copying casts of Greek sculpture was how I learned to draw and the rigor involved in executing this drawing felt good.
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Behind the White Curtainoil on linen, 10" X 14" 2009
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Still Life with Venetian Maskoil on linen, 12" X 16" 2009
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumOil on linen, 16" X 20" 2009 I wanted to try something different than a traditional still life, so I borrowed a bunch of little statues from my friend Rick and created this scene. I love how the figures are together but don't really interact, and I love everything about antiquity. Can you tell who the central figure is supposed to be?
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Queen Esther's PrayerOil on Linen, 22" X 30" 2010 This is the other biblical painting in this series. Queen Esther, who is the wife of Ahasueros, King of Persia, is an Israelite. Her cousin Mordechai has just come and asked her to go to the king to beg him to save their people. Mordechachai stands behind Esther with the decree that all the Jews will be killed. Approaching the king when it's not her turn poses great danger to Esther. Instead of relying on her worldly power and charms as symbolized by the crown and fur which have been cast aside, she kneels in prayer, relying on her faith. The resolution is depicted in the background: Haman, the author of the decree, is brought low by the king, and will eventually be hung.
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Il Paragoneoil on linen, 8" X 12" 2010
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The Queen of Sheba: Seeking WisdomOil on Linen, 16" X 24" 2009 The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because he's renowned for his wisdom as a judge. In this painting, the queen is looking at Solomon, symbolized by the balance in the mirror behind her. The basket with the white cloth is the basket of gifts she bears. The lions are attributes of royalty.
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Andrewoil on linen, 18" X 24" 2010 This a portrait of my nephew Andrew who sat for me with great discipline. His bar mitzvah portion dealt with many episodes from the life of Abraham. The background is a copy of a detail of Peter Paul Ruben's "The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek" at the National Gallery of Art.
More Still Lifes
More still lifes....
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Orange Beetsoil on linen, 16" x 24", 2011
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Lemons with White Clothoil on linen, 12" X 14"
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White Cup with Radishesoil on panel, 8" x 12", 2011
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All Aloneoil on linen, 12" X 16"
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L'abbondanzaoil on linen, 18" x 24", 2011
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Unwrapped Fishoil on panel, 12" X 16"
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Pommodori e Broccolioil on panel, 12" X 16"
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Standing Asparagusoil on linen, 9" X 13"
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumOil on linen, 16" X 20" 2009 I wanted to try something different than a traditional still life, so I borrowed a bunch of little statues from my friend Rick and created this scene. I love how the figures are together but don't really interact, and I love everything about antiquity. Can you tell who the central figure is supposed to be?
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DaffodilsOil on panel, 9" X 12"
2012
A picture is worth a thousand words.
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Noahgraphite with sanguine and white on toned paper, 2015
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Madi with White RosesOil on linen, 18" X 24"
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Alexandraoil on panel. 16" X 20", 2015
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Girl with an Orange ScarfOil on linen, 18" X 24"
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Latrice (in progress)oil on linen, 14" X 14", 2015
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19-8.jpg
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The Queen of Sheba: Seeking WisdomOil on Linen, 16" X 24" 2009 The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon because he's renowned for his wisdom as a judge. In this painting, the queen is looking at Solomon, symbolized by the balance in the mirror behind her. The basket with the white cloth is the basket of gifts she bears. The lions are attributes of royalty.
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Shirleygraphite with sanguine and white on toned paper, 18" x 24", 2015
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Waynegraphite with sanguine and white on toned paper, 18" x 24", 2014
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Ryanoil on linen, 16" X 20"
still lifes
still lif paintings
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flowersoil on linen, 8" X 10"
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Three Lemons with White Cupoil on linen, 12" X 16"
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Perchoil on linen,12" X 12", 2015
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Pommodori e Broccolioil on panel, 12" X 16"
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Oranges and White Radishesoil on panel, 16" X 16"
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Lemons and Eggsoil on linen, 12" X 16", 2015
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Cauliflower on a pedestaloil on panel, 14" X 14", 2015
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Peppers and onionoil on linen, 16" x 16', 2015
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Lemon and Eggs with Mattia de Pretisoil on panel, 8" X 10"
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All Aloneoil on linen, 12" X 16"
portraits, 2014-2015
Painting portraits is absolutely my favorite thing to do. There's nothing quite like the experience of capturing a person's personality as it reveals itself over time before my eyes in the studio.
I always work from life. For paintings, I usually meet with the model for a series of about five or six sessions. Drawings are much quicker.
I always work from life. For paintings, I usually meet with the model for a series of about five or six sessions. Drawings are much quicker.
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Masongraphite with sanguine and white on toned paper, 2015
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Shirleygraphite with sanguine and white on toned paper, 18" x 24", 2015
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Waynegraphite with sanguine and white on toned paper, 18" x 24", 2014
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elder-panera.jpg
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elder-christainson.jpg
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Jennagraphite, sanguine heightened with white on toned paper, 2014
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Pauloil on panel, 16" X 20" sketch
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8x9-300dpi-final-warshal-woman-w-daisy-crop-005.jpg
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Ryanoil on linen, 16" X 20"
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8x8-300dpi-final-warshal-woman-look-up-crop-001.jpg
Landscape and Interiors
Landscape and interiors
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Fulton Theateroil on prepared paper, 10" x 11", 2015
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Clifton Mansionoil on prepared paper, 11" X 18", 2015 This is one of the oldest buildings in Baltimore. The second owner was Johns Hopkins (the man, not the school) and he transformed it into the Italianate mansion you see here. The most amazing thing I saw when painting it was the orange light that appeared in the portico at the end of the day.
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My Living Roomoil on linen, 18" x 24"
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Inside Brown Memorialoil on linen, 18" X 24", 2015
still lifes, 2014-2015
Ever since I attended the Schuler School almost 20 years ago, I've dreamt of having a north facing artist's skylight in my studio. This past year that dream came to fruition! All of the still lifes in this series have been done since April 2014 when I was finally able to paint under my new skylight.
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Another Caulifloweroil on linen, 16" X 16"
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Three Quincesoil on linen
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Clementinesoil on linen
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White cloth with lionosoil on linen, 18" X 24"
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Fragole e Pepperoncini Giallioil on panel, 5" X 7"
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Unwrapped Fishoil on panel, 12" X 16"
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Oranges with Caulifloweroil on panel, 14" X 14"
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Standing Asparagusoil on linen, 9" X 13"
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Basket with Tomatoesoil on panel, 18" X 18"
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Whiteoil on panel, 10" X 10" When I renovated my studio in 2013, I painted my studio walls a greenish gray that is both beautiful and elusive. I loved observing its effects on the white and transparent surfaces in this set-up.
New work, 2017-2018
For the last few years I've been painting figures in interior spaces. Sometimes specific, other times ambiguous, each piece tells a little story.
I start by having a model in my studio and often other artists come to work with me. We experiment with different poses and setups until we arrive at the magic combination. I've been lucky to have wonderful models! If you notice, Luz is featured in most of these paintings. She's an award-winning actress who also, fortunately for me, loves to pose for artists. The model in "Seeking Wisdom" is my husband who posed patiently for many hours for that painting.
One of my favorite things in the whole world is to work in the studio with fellow artists and a great model!
I start by having a model in my studio and often other artists come to work with me. We experiment with different poses and setups until we arrive at the magic combination. I've been lucky to have wonderful models! If you notice, Luz is featured in most of these paintings. She's an award-winning actress who also, fortunately for me, loves to pose for artists. The model in "Seeking Wisdom" is my husband who posed patiently for many hours for that painting.
One of my favorite things in the whole world is to work in the studio with fellow artists and a great model!
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WhatAPleasantSurpriseoil on linen, 16" x 20", 2018
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Seeking Wisdomoil on linen, 18" x 24", 2017
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The Pleaoil on linen, 16"x16", 2017
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The Yellow Dressoil on linen, 18"x24", 2017
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Reflectionoil on linen, 20" x 24", 2018
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The Letteroil on linen, 18"x24", 2017
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Salome's Dreamoil on linen, 18"x24", 2017
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The Chess Playeroil on linen, 18"x 24", 2017