About Kim
Kim Karnes is an an Austin based artist who has been developing her oil painting and drawing skills since 2014. Prior to Austin she lived in the San Francisco area for 35 years. The meditative and diverse landscapes of Northern California have greatly influenced her work and color palette.
Kim has studied traditional renaissance techniques under Noah Buchanan in both Italy, at the Florence Academy and in California at the College of San Mateo. Kim was originally trained as an interior designer and practiced for over 30 years, where she developed and eye and love for art and created her own independent style.
Kim has translated her life's personal experiences and skills into painting portraits, landscapes, interior scenes and still life paintings. Her process is to take traditional and historical techniques and bring them into her artwork while expressing a contemporary, reachable, fresh painting style.
My Process
Right now it’s an excellent time for my work because I am in am experiencing an investigative stage with my art. I am loosening up and even exploring larger abstract works in acrylic. My foundation is in drawing historical figures using renaissance techniques. This is a long process where the painting is first developed in a pencil drawing, from a model or photograph, and transferred to a canvas or panel. Many layers of paint are used to build up color, depth, and form.
I have been interested in focusing on ideas and themes that relate to family and mothers, portraying them in a daring way. I place the main images in an imaginary designed landscape having some surreal undertones creating something new and different.
I have also been working on large-scale abstract acrylics. My process is to lay layers of acrylic paint on wooden 1/2" thick large panels, interpreting a landscape feel. I let it dry then sand it down some, layering more color and repeating the process until I create something I am satisfied with.
This layering concept and creating depth is somewhat parallel with the layering concepts of my figure work. Although this work is much looser and free, it still is about creating a good composition and having color harmony so it does have a strange kind of structure in its looseness.