Bio: Karen Michael

Karen Michael has been painting for over 20 years. During that time, she studied for three years with Charlie Sheard in his eponymous school. A master of pure abstraction, he provided an in depth studio course on historical oil painting techniques, from the preparation of the support and making the paints to the examination and practice of the oil painting techniques used by the masters, both old and more recent. This was a period of intense learning that shaped Karen as a painter.

In the subsequent years, Karen has explored abstraction- mark making, gestural work, texture and colour. Throughout, her painting has been informed by the environment in which she found herself, both natural and man-made. She continues to push her own boundaries, exploring the impact of those environments on her life and the way she perceives the world.

In her latest body of work (to be exhibited at the Affordable Art Fair, Sydney, 2024), Karen has taken a new direction. This work is drawn from a critical examination of herself, her place in the world, and of the visual images that inspire her. This work reflects her experiences as a female working in a male environment, as well as the beauty and strength Karen discovered within. Examining herself and her life, the connections between her corporate persona, her unequivocal feminism and her inherently creative, loving and compassionate soul, through a clear feminist lens has resulted in these new paintings.

You can find more of Karen’s work at www.karenmichael.com.au