Painting is such a gift in my life.  I have always loved the out-of-doors, and it gives me great joy to paint “en-plein-air.”  Born and raised in Germany, the visual arts were part of my life from early on.    I have studied drawing and painting in Germany, Colorado, and California, and continue to learn every time I paint.  I feel fortunate to have been actively engaged in the visual arts all my life.  Artistic expression allows me to bring increased sensitivity and intuition to my work with clients as hypnotherapist and personal coach, and inspires my writing, speaking and teaching.   My work has been featured in selected galleries and I am a regular participant in  “Open Studios”.   I have been living and painting in Santa Cruz, California since 1986.

           Greatly inspired by the early California Impressionists plein-air painters, I attempt to reflect the radiance of color and light in the landscape.  Like them, I love to express the golden glow of our California light, and how it illuminates the natural world.

When choosing a location to paint, I follow "the call of the wild."  Whenever I can, I paint "en plein air" (in the field), in pastel or oil.  With pastels, I often use a sanded fine art paper.  I start with a charcoal or sepia sketch, followed by a gouache under-painting and then continue with various pastels.  At times, I finish work in my studio, from memory and photographic reference.

                                                                                          ~~~~ Karin