Karen Haas

 Two Time Art Party Participant

Neighbors’ Front Yard 1

Artist’s Websites

www.karenhaas.net

karenhaasrecentworks.blogspot.com

Artist’s Statement

I am presenting two bodies of work which concern the interesting spaces created by the people of San Jose in their front yards.

In my acrylic paintings, I depict some front yards in my neighborhood. These appeal to me because of the spontaneous exuberance of the spaces. I pore through photos I have taken to find expressive shapes and odd juxtapositions to be transformed into paintings. I use exaggerated colors to reveal and enhance the hidden meanings of these environments.

The second body is more conceptual. It is about what I call yard sculptures. I take walks in my neighborhood specifically to find interesting objects in yards, on sidewalks, or in playgrounds, which I then photograph. The photos are enlarged, and I repaint in acrylic the object in the photo, which I find sculpture-like.

I have lived in San Jose for 32 years. My audience consists of all the people who can appreciate its special characteristics, as I do. I believe that those who are tuned in to the community and have an eye for art will appreciate my observations of our daily lives.

My teaching painting at Sunnyvale Community Center has bearing on my work—assisting students with their projects helps me view my own work in a fresh way. I do research on artists to present to my students, which also feeds back into my own art.