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
Jump to a project:
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!
-
WhatAPleasantSurpriseoil on linen, 16" x 20", 2018
-
Seeking Wisdomoil on linen, 18" x 24", 2017
-
The Pleaoil on linen, 16"x16", 2017
-
The Yellow Dressoil on linen, 18"x24", 2017
-
Reflectionoil on linen, 20" x 24", 2018
-
The Letteroil on linen, 18"x24", 2017
-
Salome's Dreamoil on linen, 18"x24", 2017
-
The Chess Playeroil on linen, 18"x 24", 2017
Figurative work, 2015-2016
In the fall of 2015, I decided to sit in on Mark Karnes' landscape and interior painting class at MICA where I also teach. I did it so that I would go outside to paint landscapes, but the biggest surprise for me was the love and interest I developed for painting interior spaces. I began to look not only at the figure in front of me but at the entire environment in a new way. This experience changed the direction of my work. I began to combine still life objects, something I'd always painted, with the portrait and figure, my favorite subjects. This was my entree into narrative painting.
"Nude on My Grandmother's Chair" was the first one in this series. I can't quite remember the order of the others and many were done simultaneously since the models came on different days of the week. "Alexandra Playing her Cello" and "Spinning Wool" are part of a series I hope to continue on women engaging in their talents.
I would like to note that I always work from life, never from photographs. For me, the excitement of the artistic process is intrinsically connected to the experience of the world around me.
"Nude on My Grandmother's Chair" was the first one in this series. I can't quite remember the order of the others and many were done simultaneously since the models came on different days of the week. "Alexandra Playing her Cello" and "Spinning Wool" are part of a series I hope to continue on women engaging in their talents.
I would like to note that I always work from life, never from photographs. For me, the excitement of the artistic process is intrinsically connected to the experience of the world around me.
-
Nude in my Grandmother's Chairoil on linen, 18"x 24", 2016
-
On the Blue Chaiseoil on linen, 22"x 22", 2016
-
Alexandra Playing her Cellooil on linen, 18" x 24", 2016
-
Spinning Wooloil on linen, 18" x 24", 2016
-
In a White Dressoil on linen, 18" x 24", 2016
-
Il Pugileoil on linen, 18" X 24", 2015
-
Lost in Thoughtoil on linen, 20" x 16", 2016
-
Lost in Thought #2oil on linen, 20"x 24", 2016
Still Lifes
Still lifes are a wonderful subject, little worlds unto themselves!
-
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.
-
Oranges and White Radishesoil on panel, 16" X 16"
-
Three Quincesoil on linen
-
Oranges with Caulifloweroil on panel, 14" X 14"
-
Cauliflower in a BasketOil on panel, 16" X 16"
-
Oranges and EggsOil on panel, 12" X 18"
-
Basket with Tomatoesoil on panel, 18" X 18"
-
Clementinesoil on panel
-
Untitled (with cauliflower)oil on linen, 16" x 20"
-
Lemon and Eggs with Mattia de Pretisoil on panel, 8" X 10"
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.
-
RickCharcoal on paper, 20 X 27"
-
PamelaOil on linen 16" X 20" 2007
-
JohnOil on panel 9" X 10" 2004
-
Christopheroil on linen, 12" X 16"
-
Ed ReadingOil on linen 16" X 20" 2008
-
MeganCharcoal on handmade paper 15" X 17"
-
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.
-
MikeCharcoal on handmade paper 16" X 20"
-
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.
-
ConnerCharcoal on handmade paper, 16" X 20"
More Still Lifes
More still lifes....
-
Orange Beetsoil on linen, 16" x 24", 2011
-
Lemons with White Clothoil on linen, 12" X 14"
-
White Cup with Radishesoil on panel, 8" x 12", 2011
-
All Aloneoil on linen, 12" X 16"
-
L'abbondanzaoil on linen, 18" x 24", 2011
-
Unwrapped Fishoil on panel, 12" X 16"
-
Pommodori e Broccolioil on panel, 12" X 16"
-
Standing Asparagusoil on linen, 9" X 13"
-
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?
-
DaffodilsOil on panel, 9" X 12"
More Portraits
Some of these are portraits done in 3 or 4 sittings, so they have a partially finished and partially unfinished quality. Portraiture is the most fascinating of subjects. I love to discover the personality of the model as I observe the small changes in expression over time.
-
Alexandraoil on panel. 16" X 20", 2015
-
Latrice (in progress)oil on linen, 14" X 14", 2015
-
Ryanoil on linen, 16" X 20"
-
Margaretoil on linen, 16" x 20"
-
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.
-
Lucyoil on linen, 16" x 20"
-
Pauloil on panel, 16" X 20" sketch
-
19-8.jpg
-
Danna
-
Marcus
Landscape and Interiors
Landscape and interiors
-
Fulton Theateroil on prepared paper, 10" x 11", 2015
-
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.
-
My Living Roomoil on linen, 18" x 24"
-
Inside Brown Memorialoil on linen, 18" X 24", 2015