Today we’d like to introduce you to Kari Powell.
Kari, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
As a child, my heart was filled when I had the ability to make presents for my friends and family. I craved creation in all its forms baking, sewing, & drawing to name a few. I was introduced to many mediums early on but did not discover my love for painting until high school. I remember learning about Van Gogh and Monet and just having this insatiable desire to learn how to paint. My teacher gave me a quick 5 minute demo on acrylics painting an eye and it gave me the confidence to start practicing on my own. I began to explore vortex shapes, movement, and flow within my paintings. I loved multi panel paintings and the barrel of a wave because it looked like an eye to me. My style has evolved over the years because I am now allowing myself to loosen my strokes and trust my intuition. I am a Libra and so much about my art is creating a balance that is felt within my heart. That is how I know a piece is complete.
Growing up on the water in Maryland my spirit has always been drawn to the ocean, so it was an easy decision to move to San Diego when I was 17. Looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I attended the Art Institute and have my bachelor’s degree in interior design. The skills I have as a designer overlap into my art world which is very convenient. To have begun selling my ocean art in local coffee shops and now to have my art displayed in 5 galleries across the globe I feel truly blessed for where I am at today.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I have 4 Series of art including Surf, Sea life, Abstract, & Floral. One thing remains true in all these series is that I strive to create movement, fluidity, balance, and comfort. By using wood panels as my substrate I am able to reveal the natural beauty of the wood grain into my paintings. From there I use acrylic paint to set a base coat. I’m into mixing all kinds of things into my paint lately including sand, crushed shells, sea glass, plaster, and rocks to create high surface texture. The idea is for you to feel submerged and connected to the painting, a layer of resin is applied to the surface of the painting to seal in all the media and create a high gloss finish look. More layers of paint and resin can be applied to create even more of a 3D effect. The final layer shows reflections between the matte paint and high gloss finish of resin which changes as you pass by and in different lighting. My hope is that I am able to bring energy into your space that can make a positive impact on your life.
I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out one specific reason of why I paint but ultimately there are many reasons. My dad was a scuba diver and fisherman. He is a large inspiration in my school of fish series to keep his memory alive. I love the ocean and sunsets and know that they can bring comfort and joy in times when it’s needed most. I want to bring awareness to the ocean and environment and by purchasing my art people are helping with ocean cleaning projects through my donations to 4Ocean. When I’m creating a piece of art I am in a moving meditation where my hand feels guided, this is a necessary part of my life to feel balance and peace as well.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
What has kept me being able to keep pursing my art is that I have multiple streams of income. I haven’t taken the leap to full time artist but I’m getting close. I am a freelance designer so it allows me to have a flexible schedule working mostly from home on interior design renderings and Construction documents. I also offer mural services which allows me to meet interior designers and get my work in front of a broader audience.
It’s also important to be a conscience artist and recycle/ reuse whenever possible. I just discovered reusing my resin runoff pieces that would otherwise be considered trash can be reused as media on my paintings. I also used to go to goodwill and by really cheap canvases and paint over them. What was initially on the painting could become part of the new paintings. It’s really about being creative with your material purchases whenever possible because artist know paint isn’t cheap. I also have tried to limit the amount of help I get in order to save costs but you get to a point where you can’t do it all. I think it’s also really important for artist to value their art. I may donate one to two paintings a year for charitable causes but it’s important to not devalue your art and just give it away all the time.
One thing I recently did that was helpful was really get clear on my costs per painting. It made me realize when I was first selling my art 8 years ago I wasn’t making a profit but it was more about just creating then but you realize if you want to take this from hobby to career you need to know you numbers.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My art is located in 5 Galleries
Bliss 101, Encinitas CA
Riley Arts Gallery, Manhattan Beach CA
Third Dimension Gallery, Kamuela, Hi
Ocean Art Gallery, Flagler Beach FL
SKD Studios, Newport Beach, CA
I also sell online at Karilovesart.com. And have a studio in San Diego where I can meet clients to discuss commissions. About 50 % of the art I sell is custom work for people who want to work with me to create the perfect piece for their space.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.karilovesart.com
- Phone: 8054230626
- Email: kari@karilovesart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karipowellart/
Image Credit:
Meg Marie Photography
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
