Hello! My name is Karen Elzinga I am a professional acrylic painter and artist having studied a double major degree in Fine Art & Visual Culture from Curtin University of design in 2012.
I enjoy and paint predominantly whimsical contemporary abstracts that encompass beach side settings or movie mashups of popular movies past and present, but l do enjoy producing the odd abstract and pop art pieces also. I use only the finest grade professional artist acrylic paints and canvas.
I enjoy the easy going nature of the beach and its endless settings and l'm inspired by the fleeting freedom and excitement that the beaches offer. I live coastal on the Sunshine Coast, so l have an abundance of beach side locations to draw from, but generally l like to do mash ups intertwining the underwater and land activities with intricate detail so the viewers and purchaser continues to find things well after the works purchase. My work is like a treasure trove, it just keeps on giving. I find that a fun aspect to my working process.
I generally paint in XXL scale, l love the impressive nature of a huge artwork taking on a huge wall, there is something magical about that.
The colours l choose are big and bold, many believing them to be oil paints, however they are acrylics, l just only ever use the opaque varieties which allows my work an overall vibrant and rich depth.
Everyone loves the beach whether sitting on it or looking at it, and l try to bring that enjoyment and happiness felt at the beach into my paintings. My paintings are draw cards because of their colour and complexity, talking points because of the subject matter and sort after across Australia, and Internationally because of their collector appeal, freedom and fun quality.
I love to do intricate and busy styling in my designs with an abstract twist, l believe it brings a joy and happiness to the viewer and in turn takes them back to their own childhood memories of good times by the seaside. I have always been very attracted to colour, the brighter the better and l believe that that is why people are instantly attracted to my work and go away smiling. With colour brings a feel good feeling and a definite happiness.
Life is good at the beach, take home a professionally finished painting today and bring that good feeling vibe to your surroundings. Karen is a high demand artist, Here's what the purchaser of "Hawkin's Landing", a 3 piece extra large painting had to say about commissioning a painting from Karen. - From the client: "Well the painting went down a treat, my wife broke into tears when she saw it, absolutely loved it. Thanks again Karen for a job very well done". B.H (Batemans Bay).
What exhibitions did you participate in?
I don't do many exhibitions, for the reason that my art is so big it's difficult to transport when l don't have a transit van, l have done a few group exhibitions, and art festivals including:
Williamstown Gallery Solo Exhibition (By Invitation) 1998
Cobram Art Show -Group Show 1986, 87, 88, 89, 90
Nambour Solo Exhibition 2016
Eumundie Art Festival Group Exhibition 2005, 2006
Immanuel Lutheran Art Show Group Exhibition 2010, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,/18
Noosa Maze Festival (By Invitation) 2018
Phresh Gallery Caloundra (By invitation) 2017
What do you enjoy about creating art?
I cannot go a day without doing art, l get really cranky, its so relaxing and sets the mind at peace, it really is fantastic for the mind and body. I build all my own frames and l mount my work after l have painted it, as l like gallery wrapped finishes (painting is the same on the sides as the front).
Which Australian deceased artist do you most admire and why?
I did a lot of university essays on Pro Hart, so l would have to say him, l enjoyed his process as well as the humor in his finished works. I loved the fact that dropped paint cans onto his canvas from a plane, and that he used to blow things up with dynamite, then put them back together in a more interesting way. I like that he liked to experiment, l can really relate to that! But l love how he is now called the peoples painter, he was ostracized from some of the most major Australian galleries and l'm glad that didn't stop him from becoming such an influential painter for everyday people. Just goes to show you that quality work will always shine through no matter what
Do you have any rituals or habits involving your art-making that you can tell us about?
Yes...I'm messy..haha when l'm creating all concept of clean and orderly goes out the window, some artists are so clean and tidy, but not me!
I paint flat on a table when l do my art, so l guess my ritual is that fact and that l don't look at the finished painting upright until it is mounted.
What do you like most about being an artist?
Freedom of expression, and taking a blank canvas and filling it with something enjoyable. . I think there's a definite calmness about painting. l enjoy listening to music, so l get lost in the songs and before l know it 3-4 hours has past.
How do you handle bad days when you experience artist's block?
I don't really get artist block, l have more ideas generated everyday than l know what to do with, sometimes that's frustrating because l can only paint so fast, so l can't do them all.
What do you think the general public needs to be aware of about artists and their work?
I think that some people have a misunderstanding with the time it can take to produce certain works like my movie or beach works in large scale, some of my work can take 7 full days a week for literally 6-8 weeks to fully complete one work, so when people see my prices they are sometimes surprised, however if l worked out the production of my work based on an hourly rate, l am seriously underpaid as a professional, but it is what it is to do something l love. I just would love for people to understand you paid for quality work, quality tools and products, your paying for artist space and artist time, the commission they have to pay to galleries for selling the work of around 30% or higher, tax to the government, cost of advertising and marketing and your also paying for the artists development, added training, online researching, ideas development even before the art work is created. Art takes time to produce well so please think twice before asking any artist for a 'better price', because most set their work to the bare minimum anyway. When you purchase original one of a kind artwork, your buying and supporting the the artists ability to keep producing future art, not just a painting to hang on your wall.