Southwest Images

“Taos Pueblo” watercolor

“Tribal Pottery Infatuation”

"The Pedernal That Georgia Loved"

This is the view of the pedernal made famous by Georgia O'Keeffe in her paintings. This view is as that land form is seen from Abiquiu Reservoir, at the time of a previous trip of mine to New Mexico. I remember driving in the region on my first trip to Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico, and spotting it in the distance. I felt such excitement at seeing one of the places that Georgia had painted, a place that was near to where she had lived.

Native American Pottery, both ancient and 19th Century has inhabited my brain recently. This is evidence of this affliction of mine, and I am sure there will be more in the near future as I add to my virtual collection.

IMAGES OF THE SOUTHWEST

"My recent excursions into the West, via New Mexico and Arizona, have filled my head and my soul with impressions of places, tastes of incredible colors, richly nuanced textures, that continue to enrich my life. Return visits to those locales stir me to invest my paintings with the song of the Southwest that plays over in my head repeated refrains of images not yet painted, wending their way through my spirit, onto the page."

Tumacacori Mission, Tucson AZ

Pottery represents examples of the rich past that once existed at this place. Some of it still stands as a reminder of the spiritual life that once inhabited these grounds.

”Peace! Warrior Weaving”

This acrylic painting, just completed, is a recent addition to my ongoing assortment of works for which I am inspired by The Southwest, its physical beauty, the lives of America’s indigenous people, and the history of lives lived in the area over time. Rarely are there references to males creating beauty in this form, that of weaving, but they have existed, and still do in places like Chimayo Nm, in that case developed by its Spanish inhabitants. The individual in my painting is Native American, creating goods intrinsically related to personal living.

"Indian Brave with Drum" acrylic

This painting represents my intense focus on the Southwest, specifically New Mexico, during the last couple of weeks. That is the time that my planned trip to Taos and Santa Fe got scratched, due to my husband's poor health at the time. I've been immersing myself in the lore of that area even though I didn't travel there this fall. I have been there a few times, and it continues to be my favorite location. This painting was actually conceived in the studio in a session with a model posing for a painting group that meets weekly. I made numerous changes and additions to make him conform (he says he is 1/4 Cherokee) to the image in my head.

"Zuni Ladder to Heaven"

This painting represents my emotional ties to New Mexico, and Native American life in the Southwest

Red Rocks, Sedona" watercolor

"I have been a working artist since the age of 15. Early instruction, classroom research, and library excursions, led to my discovery of Cubist and Expressionist painters, with their exciting way of creating forceful depictions of reality, which they completely reshuffled, and seemed to spew onto canvas with boldness, imagination, and conviction. Their daring approach continues to influence me."

"Heading Out"

Ranchhands packing
up the road-weary burro for their long Journey ahead. They depend on his strength, endurance, and sure-footedness to take them to their destination. It feels like we are into the action of the painting here, a party also to their preparations.

"Foot of the Mountains,Tucson"
watercolor

In The Time of The Great White Buffalo Acrylic on canvas

Looking back at Native American life in times long gone.

"In Praise of San Ysidro's Abundance of Our Harvest"

Painted after an inspiring trip to El Rancho de Las Gondrinas, and it's re-enactment of Spanish/Mexican cultural events, this acrylic painting on canvas became a vital undertaking for me. New sights and sounds, rich in color and texture, fill the mind with a myriad of images waiting to be translated onto canvas.

Copyright©2002. All Rights Reserved. The content of this site is exclusively owned by Karen Halpern. All artwork is the sole property of Karen Halpern. Any reproduction or other use of images contained in this website without written permission of Karen Halpern is expressly prohibited.

"Waiting in the Wings"

Acrylic on canvas

Young women dancers at the Hacienda are waiting off stage to perform.