Karen Latham paints with her daughters Rebecca and Bonnie. The family of artists live in Minnesota where they are surrounded by mesmerizing scenery and wildlife. As Karen was painting art to get ready for The Wonderful World of Wildlife event at Seaside Art Gallery, she found the time to chat with us and answer a few questions about her career as an artist.
How long have you been painting?
“Since I was about 12. I received my first oil paint set as a gift.”
What is your favorite animal to paint and why?
“I don’t really have a preference. We take our own photos so we observe the wild birds and animals in real life. Some shots just capture the animal's personality better than others. And the lighting. Those are the things I look for.”
Where is a favorite place you've traveled to see wildlife?
“We try to find wildlife to photograph whenever we travel, for shows, family, etc. I don’t really have a favorite place... they are all unique.”
Why do you make this type of art? Why are you drawn to this subject?
“I have always been drawn to nature and science. I have a B.S. degree in biology/chemistry. I grew up camping and fishing with my family.”
What does your artwork represent? Does your art represent something about you?
“It's not about me. I try to capture the animal's personality, making an intimate interaction with the viewer. I was taught to make the painting ‘feel like you could reach in and put your arms around the subject.’ A very personal experience.”
What inspires you? What connection do you have to your art?
“The natural world inspires me. I try to express its wonder in my paintings so others can enjoy it too.”
What does your art mean to you?
“It's not simply a portrait or scene. It's connecting the viewer and the subject... evoking a personal interaction between them.”
What art do you most identify with?
“I love highly detailed intricate realism. It's fascinating. Just like a puzzle you work on until the pieces fit.”
What work do you most enjoy doing?
“Being with the animals and nature and being able to sketch and paint them in the artwork. Then putting that work out for people to enjoy is what excites me. What a perfect occupation! And what a blessing that so many are touched by what we do. It's humbling and I am grateful.”
You can see Karen’s magnificent art that is showing now, in The Wonderful World of Wildlife at Seaside Art Gallery. The event is going on right now now through December 26, 2020.
Special offer for this Holiday event only!
You get free shipping on any Latham art. No matter how many pieces you buy! That’s an incredible deal for this breathtaking art!
Yes! Take me to the Wonderful World of Wildlife event now!
Yes! Take me to Karen's art now!
Have fun! And enjoy this beautiful show.
It’s the truth: life would not exist without light. From the greatest to the smallest, light is essential for most living creatures on Earth to survive.
One of an artist’s greatest achievements is depicting the mastery of light in paintings. There’s no such thing as a pigment in “light” color, so painters must diligently express the illusion of light by employing a complexity of colors that depict placements of shadows, sunny areas, reflections, and so on to the naked eye.
Majestic and awe-inspiring, Lorraine Dey’s acrylic paintings harness nature’s extraordinary moments on the canvas. Her award winning work is showcased far and wide in the United States, Canada, and even Finland.
