Karen Colville

Karen Colville is a West Coast Scenery Painter of mood, light, calmness , tranquility in her landscapes of Western Canada, she also makes Contemporary art creations, with an addition of fiber art  with considerable skills in oil and water color. Her subject strength is recognized by her Collectors is landscapes, in recent years those of Western Canada. 

Her early works were of rural life in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. In the early stages of Karen's art career, she was educated  in Toronto OCAD Fine Arts and Emily Carr in  Vancouver, Fine Arts classes and workshops on Granville Island. Independent representing Canada, as an emerging Artist, she traveled  in previous years international to learn about Ancient art history  with cultural immersion ,cultural practices and to exhibit at prestigious cultural events.

 Karen's recurring themes in her art are about peace and solitude, as a distant connection with nature, however she expresses Contemporary art direction from traditional works. Certain places are considered as sacred as much as supernatural to have the ability to increase our sense of peacefulness, calming images in an unpredictable world.

Karen Colville is a recognized experienced Visual Artist Painter, Public and Private Performance Artist in Music, also recognized as a Singer and presenter in education  of all ages. A Speaker Presenter to various groups in the Arts in Cultural Festivals, Outsider Art, in the public sector of Arts & Culture and in Community Arts as a Contributor. Karen also speaks on Contemporary art on Spotify from time to time.

 She is also an award winning Artist. Karen works with different mediums with consideration to minimal impact this also enables her to appreciate other cultures while in development of contemporary works with technique exploration. She feels that fiber art has become recognized as a popular art form rather than simply craft. Karen also creates surface design images. More to come on this subject.

 

 

 Artist Statement  : 

My artistic practice in recent  years is socially engaged community art that expresses a love for the outdoors and environment with acceptance as a safe connection to scenic spaces. This connection with the Creator turned me into a landscape artist experimenting with different mediums, with  growth and making myself whole in the moment being more conscious with my environment. I became drawn to Western landscapes as a serious life challenge ,even though I could not access a lot of these remote places as they were so spread out and difficult to get to and with very difficult hikes were too physically demanding.  I once envied able body people that took it all for granted, getting safe access to beautiful scenery is demanding, sometimes costly and challenging. I had safe access with collaborations and support of others with a mountain of gratitude bigger than the Rockies themselves, to accomplish all I have despite the many obstacles. I have had experienced serious life challenges. It all does not have to be epic, there is peace in many places and within.

In recent years, I started with a stay in community gardens, outdoor simple beauty with easy access. I also contributed to the life and to the vitality of the Urban core of Vancouver, the reality increase in crime, sketchiness, violence, has me doing a double take communities in long term economic development.   I explored themes of diversity with positive acknowlegement in my work . Canada's every downtown is chaos and destruction policies with many vulnerable people attempting to survive in the mix of woke culture. I have stayed focused getting access to communities outside the Greater Vancouver area  as Richmond, New West Minster BC and expanding outwards on any trips I am able to take as Vancouver Island and Osoyoos, BC .I may get to access with my art and when I could not get access I explored more with different mediums as  fiber art and rug making as a traditional art form, slow fashion a means of an exit strategy. I plan to do more art work in Alberta, Canada.

 Art creation is what has saved me, through out the years, on many different levels. Art gave me a realistic world view and the importance of local culture and communities. I did not appreciate the end of the industrial age into technocracy ,as working in a factory not that there is anything wrong with that redundancy is not good for life quality or suburban life or small town living without any real opportunity, was not my life goal.  It took years ,without any support however in recent years I noticed more and more different cities embracing art creation as a part of contemporary culture and art collection. I have contributed to the arts, aside challenges I have become professional as recognized in my community and in service to other communities this means something, that is now today,  in many parts of Canada. I wanted to live the Artist life with a Canadian identity. This has had great importance to me, I had everything working against me and I produced a body of works of beautiful stunning aesthetic Canadian paintings with pride for my collectors. My practice has grown to what it is today.

I had to find that magical realism and spiritual connection to the emptiness in the vastness with compositions. It took myself years to have the depth of appreciation and knowledge to understand my place with the Canadian identity. It is okay to be nostalgic on occasion while taking on nature in a contemporary manner. How truly significant this is, in present times. Sure there are Artists all over Canada, I am a part of the present day movement in Canadian art.

The Artist's  way before my timeline,  in Canada expressed this vastness of the Canadian landscape, modernity made Canada ,almost as cartoonist. I had to follow in the same path as I felt modernity mixed with technocratic popular culture is the destruction of humanity with their connection to surroundings.

 

 My lofty ambitious goal to represent Western Canada in the Arts, vast  landscapes, some large and small scale ,exploring emotional connections found in the untouched landscapes of Western Canada. We spoke about the magic of human-free spaces, getting access by car with increased gas rates, trusting your artistic voice, and finding calm in atypical rituals. I have had access to Plein air, studio basements to work alone and engage in collaborative community spaces. Parks and gardens for the longest time became my thing.

 Initially I  was truly inspired and influenced by the sweeping lush landscape trees of Emily Carr as a very young person that stuck. I am still living with this wonderment whether SuperNatural.  This led me to explore and create with a West Coast vibe. Art expression is the impetus or movement  with creative expression as a form of communication.Art creation is a connection to community, this celebrates the features of a community.Recollections of experiences that reinforce the importance and values of a community. Art is a reflection of societal change, and keeps engagement having value in the environment that is around us.

Lockdown had an impact on how we access communities with recreation and nature.

 

 I am a full-time artist with an active practice in the Greater Vancouver area with travel visits to various parts of BC and  on Vancouver Island, BC. I have worked with diverse groups in Public art engagement. I have shared knowledge with outsider artists with community growth and development.

I work across a wide range of media including  Oils, acrylic , hand made eco paint, wax, wood, metal, clay and re-purposed objects to produce both two-dimensional fiber art. Environmental materials enable me to communicate in a multi dimensional manner.  I use layers of  mixed media and yarn, old repurposed  fibers, hand spun felt roving as  content to tell a story and strive to elicit an emotional response within the viewer by conveying a sense of mystery, ambiguity or tension with the ethereal beauty of nature..

My artistic practice is rooted in memory and experience, but is however contemporary in style (personal and collective), history, ritual, based on tradition, the transience of life and how experiences shape our identity. I explore themes based on societal underpinnings and present-day observations. I examine the role of ritual and the value to society of preserving traditional culture to modern day culture.

 

 

Karen Colville is always engaged  in artistic practices. experiencing continued  growth with methods of exploration of materials and environment  and working with nature . Karen  uses weaving, encaustic. and natural hand made paints. in her paintings . Community and public Art has as much importance to Karen as private collections.

Private and Community Art                           CV

 

Up and coming :   Visual Art exhibit :  Emotions of Summer Salon show at The Gathering Place ,609 Helmcken Street    Vancouver ,BC June 9 to July 28,2023 June 16th,2023 Meet the Artist  The Gathering Place ,   609 Helmcken Street Time: 5:30 -7:00 pm , Vancouver, BC.

Amplified Voices Exhibit, Vancouver BC, May- July 2023  Online Exhibit Painting  Angel Wings Go to    ONLINE ART | My Site 1 (amplifiedvoices202.wixsite.com)

 Art Auction  June 1st - June 10th,2023    You can obtain some of Karen's Collections by Auction    there are auctions on collections and specific paintings

Name of Auction :     Home | Access Travel Canada - Copy | Followmybid

You feel inclined to support Karen's long term  medical recovery  needs not covered by Government , to support a reunion with her family.  

Fundraiser by Karen Colville : Travel to see family living with disability (gofundme.com)

 Community Fund raiser for the Al fares families of Al Fares Meat and Groceries in Mount Pleasant Vancouver, business closed . Karen went to local business in support of the family to encourage them to donate to help the family.

  Ughyur Dancer Coexist Islamic Art , and to contact me about the original art for donation to  help enable this family rebuild their business.

MUSIC EVENT: Concurrence, Music Concert ,8 East Pender, (Chinese Cultural Center Vancouver BC, December 4th,2022 6-8 pm

Karen Colville Singer Songwriter Country Music

Visual Art Exhibits

Bring on Spring  Feb 24th- April 10th,2023 Langley Civic Centre,20338-65th ave, Langley ONLINE   Langley Arts Council : AIFS Online Galleries/Spring

November 7th,- December 31st,2022 International Juried Islamic Art Exhibit, Richmond Public Library Community Wall. Presenters Islamic Art of British Columbia

First Place Winner as selected by the Community Arts Council of Richmond and Islamic Art of British Columbia.

 Title artwork: Ughyr Dancer Co Exist, art based on UAE visit 2010, Karen Colville reached international art status 2010 by exhibit Ghaf gallery UAE, research on the Silk Road, Historic Islamic Art.

 Pepney Gallery , Cavan Ireland, Online Spring show. March 2023, Winter Light January 2023

   October  14  -16th 2022 Vancouver Outsiders Festival Round House, Yaletown, Vancouver, BC

October 1st-30th,2022 Title: Amber TweedsMuir, Amber 111 Exhibit Envision Arts, Texas Website : Amber III — Envision Arts (envisionartshow.com

August 20th,21st 2022 Richmond Maritime Festival, Educational family fun painting and printmaking  interactive

 June- July 2022 Recent Educational Workshop: First Nations Truth and Reconciliation Drum Making. First Nations Story telling , Educational attendee artist.

Exhibits

July 2022 Nominated for an award  Lit Comedy Festival, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, Performance Art, Screen Play

May 2022  Coquitlam Heritage Society,  Art Ancient Sandstone, Van Island, where Place Des arts, Coquitlam BC

March 2022 Longing & Belonging Jewish Community Centre Vancouver, Kickstart, Art s theme Tropical Mosaic

 

December 2021 New York City, Manhattan, Arts Collective, Pacific Ocean Wave will be shown on an electronic billboard to be auctioned off at $100,000 US Dollars with 800 Artists, guest Artist Banksy, Sky Art.

 Awards :Karen Colville has received her certificate of participation award from the Pepney Galley in Ireland for the Secret Garden exhibit. September, October 2021.

June 2021 Monaco

Monaco June 2021, Karen Colville Canadian Artist on invitation by Artquid, exhibited her portrait of Jean Michele Basquiat , in partnership with Metro Expo and 800 other collective international Artists, ave Prince Pierre,.Sur invitation d'Art Quid, Karen Colville a exposé son portrait de Jean Michele Basquiat à l'été de juin 2021 à Monaco avec Metro Expo une exposition internationale avec environ 800 artistes internationaux. The event took place in Monaco June 29th-July 5th,2021.L'événement a eu lieu du 29 juin au 5 juillet 2021

2021 Karen Colville is a new member of the Richmond Arts Coalition BC,  Karen has partnered on a Music project with Studio 100 Music and interview to be released in late 2021.

 Music :Karen's release Rocking The Blues https://karenc1.bandcamp.com/track/rocking-the-blueshttps://karenc1.bandcamp.com/track/rocking-the-bluesv

Selected artworks for representation with the Pepperdine Gallery.Ireland, Secret garden Exhibit.

2021   is a New Year  Coming soon designer Jewelry by Karen Colville,  British Columbia-themed jewelry of Vancouver Island, and period pieces of early century Pree Historic art including the Roman Empire in Israel, Ireland.

 

 2021 Karen Colville's International-themed work is published in Push For Change with Ello Magazine. 3 images represented African Women, International Women, with Human Rights.

 

Karen Colville is also now creating smooth jazz music, Please support her music direct:  https://karenc1.bandcamp.com/follow_me           Thank You! for your support!

Karen Colville a Canadian Visual Artist and Designer, expresses biodiversity in her work, with a passion for nature and the environment reconnecting neighbors with local ecologies, community with our rainforest, the bounty of bees, butterflies, gardens, and Supernatural scenery. Her appreciation of the beauty of our natural scenery, community gardens to impacting our relationship with the environment. Protecting the Coast and Old Growth Trees.

 

 

Karen Colville's bio .         Film        New Media       Music Videos      Arts Videos      Award Winning

 

Aquila Light Pictures Artist Vocalist, Song Composer, creates independent video films in music and experimental short films.

Karen Colville also creates experimental videos and music videos as an independent Artist,  Her site on Film Free way is   https://filmfreeway.com/KarenColville

she won awards in film festivals first time film maker award,https://vimeo.com/276356276

2019 Music Video Love Againhttps://vimeo.com/279392961

These are some of the awards Karen is awarded including a certificate from NASA for Music  Score and Video montages on the subject of Space Travel.

 

 

 

About Aquila Light Pictures

Her business goal is to inspire  a healthier lifestyle  in communities,  by creativity with their surroundings. Her  clients and audience  are mature people, who appreciate beauty with elegant style  and simplicity, luxury  is attained with ethical values and fair practices.

Art & Design

Karen's favorite fabrics are plant based, Hemp, Hemp Silk, Linen, Silk, Bamboo, Organic Cotton for home decor, fashion and she uses Eco paints, oil ( non toxic) and limited acrylic in her paintings.The top layers are in oil paint, using natural pigments of the earth.

Paints: Eco Paints and Natural Dyes.

This  is where you can find her art, interior design and slow fashion, she also sells her art and designs casual contemporary and luxury clothing with Vida, Zazzle, Red Bubble, Global Multi nationals in the Print on Demand era.

 

Living Natural, Organic, chemical free and as Sustainable as possible

This consists of Fine Art, Interior Design, Natural Fabrcis

Integrity, Style and Ethical Living ,

Vancouver Canada: 

https://www.wescover.com/creator/karen-colville-artist-designer   Interior Design,Visual Art

Karen is also into ecological slow fashion, she also designs on VIDA

and Red Bubble,  website with over 1300 designs contemporary and traditional works, including prints, metal works

  KarenColville1.redbubble.com

Karen Colville's Nature Art Prints are now available at reasonable rates with framing.

Society 6 :  https://society6.com/aquilalightpictures 

this includes framed works, canvas prints, metal prints

For European Collectors,Prints are available for sale on Art Quid, here is the link to view, there is also a virtual interactive art gallery being built. Here is the link.

https://www.artquid.com/artist/karencolvillecanadianart/

 

Karen Colville is also emerging into designing with Spoon flower: Here is her portfolio with her designs for sale.

https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/aquilalight_pictures?sub_action=designs

 

To view  portfolio samples:

https://www.spoonflower.com/en/fabric/10404171-earth-star-karen-colville-by-aquilalight_pictures

 

 Karen is also now partnered with Zazzle online retail with her shop Aquila Light pictures with an array of products available for sale with Karen's art and contemporary design

https://www.zazzle.ca/store/aquilalightpictures

to view products and pricing. To order products you must use the Zazzle links on this site, or customize your own using her designs on there.

Karen Colville Contemporary Nature Artist, has over 20 very reasonable priced prints on Society 6 of her nature art, more contemporary art works in the near future,https://www.wescover.com/creator/karen-colville-artist-designer

  She  also sells small works on EBAY and on Etsy. with  Art Auctions, Karen also creates short films for major contract houses on a freelance level.

Art with Community Values:

Karen's places values towards economic empowerment and development in community art is of great relevance to positive social change, having a positive impact, also participates in community arts on social causes and is in support of ability arts with organizations  Kick start disability arts, Vancouver in support of artists making a living with a disability. Karen also contributes to EWMA, Atira corporation in the DTES, to economically empower Women entrepreneurs partnered with community Women's groups. Karen has partnered with many community organizations for fund raising for over 10 years.

Karen's  art work has Private collectors in upscale homes and offices, she has won awards international, United Kingdom with LUX Live Magazine, Awards in Miami Art Basel, Zurich Art Basel  Karen has received public awards for her research on art and the environment with nature a previous Canada Council award , with community cultural arts service awards,The Vancouver Foundation.

Freelance work is with agencies in freelance competitions by invite, her video work includes custom story board work  art direction for commercials as Topal France.A contributor to Talent House contest,with contributing to Ello Arts Magazine

Experimental arts short  music and   natural living videos multi media international film  festival awards. Her preferences for contract work, include Architects with custom  arts art and design projects to suit their clients needs.

Karen Colville Canadian Contemporary Nature Artist  a featured Artist with a 30 page spread and interview the first in the magazine's 40 year History, Land Escape Art. Karen was also in Miami Basel and In  Zurich  Basel in 2019 Karen has one numerous awards in her community and on an international level, her status is re emerging into the international art scene.