Karen Lorena Parker Art Blog — BremerPark.com

My new abstract patterns are now just the light halos i have painted — coming through the trees, the clouds. Becoming more focused on how the light dances and moves and becomes luminescent on canvas. The beauty of organic natural patterns.

My paintings are now at
ART SOURCE in Al Ghazar Mall
VINDEMIA at Jumeriah Beach Residences
JAM JAR Gallery at Wafi Center

My reproductions will be at the stunning and luxurious Trident Bayside towers at the Marina.
Next show:
Canadian Business Council Sept 24th, Park Hyatt Hotel
InteriorDesign Gallery show at the Jam jar November 23rd
ArtSource: new work at BurDubai Mall this fall.

SocietyDubai will feature an interview introducing Karen Lorena Parker in the September issue!
it has been a busy and exhilarating month!

The Picasso Exibit at Emirates Palace was as incredible as the hotel. In Canada it is rare to see Picasso’s paintings. The last “big” Picasso show at the Vancouver Art Gallery had primarily sketches and rough drawings of his work. 186 Paintings from neo classical to cubist, sculptures in bronze and sheet metal, the show was so inspiring as the collection came from successive studios. Blending his art and his life, arranged chronologically by themes or settings, I will be going back to Abu Dhabi often.

We were fortunate enough to have a tour from one of the managers of the hotel. He took us through the ballrooms and corridors and giving us insightful details of the beautiful building. Gallery One had the Picasso Exhibit, and Saadiyat Island featured at Barakat Gallery the history of Abu Dhabi and the future plans for the Louvre, Guggenheim Museum, which will cover 30,000 square metres devoted to modern and contemporary art. Incredible displays of what is being built and projected. Walking through the halls, they had a photographic display “Abu Dhabi Through Your Eyes” branding the capital of the Emirates.

Gugghenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi

Louvre In Abu Dhabi

Incredible intricate patterns, detail after detail; online has a beautiful gallery, virtual tours of the suites.. Designed for VIP’s, GGC’s, celebrities: the door handles are worth 5000$ dollars, 20,000 gallons of water a day are used for the plants, 100,000$/ month is spent on flowers, they sponsor Lashings the international cricket team. During George Bush’s recent stay, his IT department contacted Discovery Channel to do a documentary on the technology of this hotel.

Picasso Quotes from the Exhibit
“Painting is not meant to decorate apartments. It is a weapon and we must use it.” - a bronze skull with clenched jaw, frightening in it’s worn polish, with no trace of humanity. Picasso defended Republican Spain, and the allegory of Spain’s suffering, misfortune

“I couldn’t see her, imagine her, except crying.” Picasso speaking of Dorema. Over 60 variations on the theme of women weeping, grief. In Guernica, grief dominated his proprietary sketches, but did not appear in the final painting. His figurative portraits of sexual tension, devouring each other, anger, weeping, expressive outbursts. He was deeply influenced by African masks that focused on gaze and sexual descriptions. Iberian Art that influenced the importance of sculptural volume, stylizing his work into structure, linear details, geometric forms and a fixed deep gaze.

Plato’s Origin of Love: the myth that man had 4 arms, and 4 legs. When man opposed the gods, man was severed to produce two separate beings, always trying to find the other half. Love is finding unity, and completing your appearance.

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Silicon Oasis
Thank you to all that could make my show at Silicon Oasis! I really appreciated you coming and hope to have another exhibit of Dubai inspired work soon.

I’m glad to be here, in the incredible city of Dubai. I’m optimistic, and feel it was the right thing to leave Vancouver — as a family. I’m glad we all came out together.

The boys are tucked in for the night as I’m sipping espresso at a free internet cafe. I feel like I’m in the early formation of a New York. Next to me on Skype, an Egyptian with a German accent has his cigarette burning in the ashtray. People walk by in a cool breezy evening.

We arrived safely at the DXB airport with all our bags intact. Everyone nice and helpful. We couldn’t find the person to meet and greet us, so we took a cab. The 15 minutes it took to find the district of Murraqqabat were doubling quickly, as the driver asked directions in all the back alleys. But we found our wonderful two bedroom apartment in the dark, two hours later. A concrete maze of closed rooms and muffled echoes.

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Jumeirah beach is stunning. Clear aqua green water, beautiful sand with nothing to hurt or tickle your feet. The sand is smooth, and in sections like an ashtray of beige cigarette filters. At 8 am, it’s thirty degrees with clear bright sun, the water refreshing and cool by evening. A very busy beach with a neighboring nightlife, but enough room for everyone. The boys in their hats and shorts left their fleece Vancouver pants behind and never looked back.

Children splash in random regular wear led by two women in full black dress — a daycare outing? Bikini’s on every form of European, Indian, Egyptian. A rare glimpse of Asians is the only fleeting familiarity of Vancouver beaches.

Lifeguards in high lookouts with binoculars focus on the beach dwellers, not particularly the swimmers. A big sign says NO CAMERAS. We hear a sharp whistle blow as the binoculars attract someone’s attention.

People smile at the boys and tousle their hair. My surprise at their affection reminds me of Canadian’s sterile culture. It feels simple here in the sand. People swimming in their clothes, men and boys in their white underwear. Among the stretch of sand, only two people sitting in beach chairs.

Everyone should have the pleasure of rolling waves and clear beaches. How many people never see a beach, or go once a year? The sun disappears at 8pm far above the horizon. At sunset, no sun for an hour and the beach is well lit.

What was a warm yellow glow in a hazy sky is suddenly evening, in shades of grey. I point out the bright crescent moon is directly above us.
“Where does the moon go?” my four year old asks.
I reply that it is always there, but we can’t always see it. He remarks, “
I want you and Dad to keep looking for fun things for us to do.”

Some new abstract works as part of the Circle Patterns collection.

Me with the girls

DJ Parlange and Suzka were incredible! Highly recommended! visit their site at Suzkamusic.com

Packing up as we get ready to leave Vancouver after a fantastic party with wonderful friends.Thanks to all that could make it on such a busy Easter weekend. If you have photos, please send them!

I feel like I will never lose touch with anyone, that I am not really leaving, just having an adventure and will see everyone very soon. I will be back in Vancouver with people saying, “I thought you left?” I think the saddest part for me is packing up my studio! The fact that I have to shut it down for a period of time, get set up elsewhere is devastating. And the struggle of deciding which colors are most important for my carry-on!

I was fascinated that most people wanted to see my studio, and interested to see what I was working on. Strata Shore (acrylic on panel 8″x32″) was just finished
today, after interest in the ‘almost final’ product downstairs. It always inspires me when people are interested in my work. Great motivation to finish the rough drafts. Inspiration from clients! It’s like their creative energy is added to the piece.

Thank you Vancouver! Lynette and Ivan at Enigma, Dave at Novo Furniture, you have been wonderful.

2008. My resolutions.
- Smaller paintings
- Artists Statement

I have been enjoying CBC podcasts as I run along the Fraser River. Laughing to Vinyl Cafe, listening to Tapestries interesting interview with Bruce Feiler, Goldfarmers in World of warcraft… and the news. It has been a big adjustment for me, as I find the news too sad and unbearable to listen to daily. How do children addicted to opium in Afghanistan, the poor, the innocent compare with the strategies of political elections. The Kite Runner devastated me for a few days! Slowly I’m trying to shed the Canadian cocoon. Working on my artist statement is helping with that.

I have been accepted by Shorewind Gallery in Tofino, and have had interest from Minnesota. Fantastic to be distributed in the US. And how fantastic to have an excuse to go to Tofino for inspiration!

I am travelling this month to pursue other galleries outside of Canada. My current struggle is working in smaller sizes to meet clients requests. The energy is very different. You try express exuberance in a little brush hair. I always appreciate the commission challenge— when they are finished!

Sisters on the Dock

This recent one was for the daughter of Dan McIvor (Martin Mars) A very sweet commission of her memory. A present for her big sister. Inspired by an old photograph, the two waiting at Skaha Lake for their dad to fly in from a days work. How wonderful it must have been for Dan to come home, to see his daughters waiting on the dock for him. I wish I could have known Dan McIvor longer. I think of it as an honor to know his extended family now.

ROUGH DRAFT
(See final version online)

New York is incredible in it’s grime and grit surrounding the high fashion and glamour of the shops. The huge MAC store open 24 hours, the beauty of Central Park, and of course the performances everywhere. You could go every night to the theatre.

We enjoyed a 10 dollar show in some old makeshift stagehouse, “Ten Tablespoons of Crazy” was so well written and beautifully performed. I absolutely loved “Hairspray”, the cast was incredible and did justice to John Waters Film. I asked the girls sitting next to me if they had seen the original film, and they replied, “Yes, we saw it yesterday!”

Had mixed feelings about “Rent” — maybe i’m just not a New Yorker! Didn’t like the stereotype of artists can’t be professionals, and professionals can’t be artists. “Leave your conscience at the door” when we are all doing our best to balance our ethics, and make our world a better place. But Angel character was absolutely Incredible giving out so much energy to the show. Maybe it was just the hard rocker musical score that rubbed my ears raw.

Another play about a boy at 9 who witnesses an argument over a parking spot that ends in a homicide. He realizes that the murderer “capo di tutti capi” is well aware he witnessed the whole event. His father tells the 9 year old who gets rewarded for his silence, “You think they’re tough guys? I’m the tough guy. The working man is the tough guy.” Chazz Palminteri writes an autobiographical play inspired by his father’s quote. “Always remember what i’m saying to you. The saddest thing in this world is wasted talent”. A quote he has kept in his back pocket, even at 55. It’s unfortunate I won’t see that one.

Stood in line for the Daily Show, after stopping by the gallery to see my work. Bought myself some flowers for the hotel room, and had the vendors singing Happy Birthday to me down the street. A sales clerk is talking to herself, “Get an Office!” as the man that stopped inside to take a message from his caller has already left. It’s Monday and I had to put the sad book down that I was reading. There is too much life here to enjoy.

Enjoyed Caffe Linda, and the recently opened Casellula. The “little hut” cheese bar, great food, ambiance, my ideal studio. I’m looking forward enjoying all the local businesses… no Starbucks in my 10 days.

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New York
September 22nd, 2007

Getting excited about my New York show. I went in ‘94, when I graduated from art school; to make the decision if I would pursue the arts after college. Every minute in that city I felt so alive, and woke up with energy. Hours at the gallery in the morning, then distracted by the colorful characters, the amount of people walking by, and of course the shopping, and back to the galleries… The decision was easy enough, I knew I had to persevere.

It will be nice to meet the other artists from Canada in the “Beyond Borders” exhibition. But I hope to have a solo show one day in New York. That will be the next goal.

I wonder how it will change my work. Coming home from a polluted Taiwan inspired the clean westcoast landscapes. I see the New York work as very bold, colourful, plastic and edgy. I can’t wait. Hopefully I can put it into words daily, on my blog.

The harder i work. The luckier I get. — Samuel goldwyn.

“Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn’t. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you.” John Irving