Karen Bloomfield
| Artist Name: | Karen Bloomfield |
| Main Focus: | Painting |
| State: | New South Wales |
| Exhibits Art: | Yes |
| Online Sales: | Yes |
| Tuition: | No |
Background
Karen burst onto the local art scene in her early 40's surprising most with her ability in numerous mediums including charcoal and oil.
Early loss & challenge led Karen to an interest in the mechanisms that inspire human behaviours and emotion. Not having studied art at school, Karen spent years travelling, photographing and experiencing life but knew this was only a foundation for something as yet intangible.
Turning 40 heralded the recognition for Karen that life is meant for the living and corporate life was simply no longer tolerable. She spent the following 5 years working part-time and attending Fine Art studies at TAFE College where she discovered new mediums and skills and, most importantly, the confidence to share her art.
Living and working on the beautiful Central Coast of NSW (Australia), Karen brings her interest in emotion to every medium she uses resulting in rich, piercing and at times hauntingly beautiful imagery. Karen’s influences have been early realist painter Caravaggio, surrealist painter Dali, as well as contemporary artists Georgia O’Keefe, Lucian Freud & Ben McLaughlin.
In her first 5 years, Karen has successfully hung three solo shows, two collaborations; participated in many group shows; won awards (listed below); twice entered the prodigious Archibald Portrait Prize (NSW); shortlisted in the Hornsby Art Prize, SHE Competition, Gosford Art Prize & St George Art Awards and her art hangs on the walls of the NSW Police HQ.
Now sought for commission work, Karen's work graces collections from Australia to Copenhagen.
Professional Associations;
NAVA (National Association of Visual Artists), Member since 2013.
Art Studios Cooperative, Full Member & Resident Artist since December 2013.
Exhibitions:
Oct 2015 Gosford Art Prize – Finalist Gosford Regional Gallery, Gosford NSW.
Sept 2015 The Other Art Fair Central Park, Sydney
August 2015 Animalia Nanshe Studio Gallery, Hamilton, NSW.
July 2015 Fauna, Fair & Free Willoughby Council Chambers, Chatswood
April 2015 Australian Spirit Art Studios Gallery, Nth Gosford, NSW
Feb 2015 Cohabitation Palm House Gallery, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Dec 2014 Art by the Sea Killcare SLSC, Killcare Beach
Nov 2014 Incandescent TAP Gallery, Darlinghurst, NSW
Oct 2014 St George Art Awards - Finalist Hurstville City Museum & Gallery, NSW
Oct 2014 Incandescent Art Studios Gallery, Nth Gosford, NSW
Sept 2014 Gosford Art Prize – Finalist Gosford Regional Gallery, NSW
May 2014 Secret Life of Animals Nanshe Gallery, Hamilton NSW
March 2014 SHE –Finalist Walker Street Gallery, Dandenong, VIC
Dec 2013 Art by the Sea Killcare SLSC, Killcare Beach
Dec 2013 Moments of Grace Factory 5, Warriewood
Nov 2013 Hornsby Art Prize –Finalist Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre, Hornsby
Oct 2013 Mental Health Art Works - Gallery Highly Commended - Gosford Regional Gallery
Dec 2012 Art by the Sea Killcare SLSC, Killcare Beach
Oct 2012 Mental Health Art Works - Gallery Highly Commended - Gosford Regional Gallery
Feb 2012 Virtue of Values Gosford Regional Gallery
Oct 2011 Mental Health Art Works - Gallery Encouragement Award - Gosford Regional Gallery
Oct 2011 ArtTT - Awarded 2nd place Online – International
March 2011 International Women’s Day Exhibition, Avoca Picture Theatre, Avoca Beach, NSW
March 2011 International Women’s Day Exhibition, Gosford Regional Art Gallery Studio Gallery
Feb 2011 Drawn Together Gosford Regional Art Gallery Studio Gallery
Awards & Achievements Include:
September 2015 - Gosford Art Prize, Finalist 'Arterial Flow'
March 2015 – Faces Of Humanity, Art Competition.net, Honorable Mention, ‘The Reality of Us All (Noir)’
October 2014 - St George Art Awards, Finalist 'Love Changes Everything'
September 2014 - Gosford Art Prize, Finalist 'Memory Lane'
March 2014 - SHE, Finalist 'Vivien'
November 2013 - Hornsby Art Prize, Finalist 'Powerful Owl'
October 2012 - Mental Health Art Works – Gosford Regional Gallery Highly Commended Award, ‘Shadowself’
October 2011 - Mental Health Art Works – Gosford Regional Gallery Encouragement Award, ‘Fallout’
October 2011 - ArtTT –Art Toppling Tobacco, 2nd Place, ‘Lost in a smokey haze’