Karen Burger has been painting for over 20 years. During that time, she studied for three years with Charlie Sheard in his eponymous school. A master of pure abstraction, he provided an in depth studio course on historical oil painting techniques, from the preparation of the support and making the paints to the examination and practice of the oil painting techniques used by the masters, both old and more recent. This was a period of intense learning that shaped Karen as a painter.
In the subsequent years, Karen has explored abstraction- mark making, gestural work, texture and colour. Throughout, her painting has been informed by the environment in which she found herself, both natural and man-made. She continues to push her own boundaries, exploring the impact of those environments on her life and the way she perceives the world.
In 2024, Karen undertook a period of intense study in New York, painting at the Art Students League and immersing herself in the seemingly boundless art offerings available in the city. This period challenged her abstract practise, honing further her sensitivity to colour and form. She left NYC challenged and inspired by the Abstract Expressionists, Colour Field and Minimalist artists and their works.
The latest body of work is the result; evidencing her growing sensitivity to the the pleasurable juxtapositions and subtle nuances of shifts in hue and tone, and the tension and equilibrium for which she strives.