and beauty and culture and art and biology and running and all the other things I think about while I am PAINTING =)

A while back (ok, a very long while back) I began this blog as a way to talk about my work.  But as my work changes and grows, in more ways than one, I find it harder and harder to commit time to my computer.  Marketing my work is not my strongest talent, as I have rediscovered trying to update my website.  I have great admiration for people who are savvy with technology because they are so efficient with computers that they are probably all out frolicking in this great weather.  Not sitting, hunched over at a desk inside, becoming even more glow in the dark…   

The truth is that I have thought about hiring someone to build me a spectacular website a million times over the last few years.  But I’d like to think that doing it myself is building some sort of crazy new web of neural pathways and maybe even help my art!  We’ll see… Right now I’d much rather be painting than taking photos of the paintings, editing them, moving jpegs around, trying to remember what’s been uploaded where, and all that stuff.  All you awesome web designers out there, you are amazing!!! 

Power to the programmers!!!!  (and please have mercy on my web skills!)

Karen

This year, Karen Saenz Studio is proud to help sponsor the 2nd Annual RUN FOR THE WATER!  As a member of the Austin-based Gilbert’s Gazelles running group, I have come to appreciate the invaluble power of training with a coach and running with a team.  Our coach and inspiration, Gilbert Tuhabonye, is a huge-hearted, incredibly talented distance runner who miraculously survived a genocide attack on his village in Burundi, Africa.  He came here to live, to start his beautiful family, and to coach the most amazing group of people I have ever met.  We are looking forward to a fantastic turnout at the race this year, with all the proceeds going to help the Gazelle Foundation build wells in Africa.  Come run the scenic and challenging 10 miler (or fast 5k) this Nov. 9th, or help by making a donation at www.gazellefoundation.com.

The reason I feel so strongly about this:  I have loved running since I can even remember, but becoming part of the Gazelles and friends with Gilbert has literally changed my life.  I love running more than ever now.  In the movie “Prefontaine” Coach Bill Bowerman says, “You can’t coach motivation.”  But I know a million people out there would say that Gilbert does it every day.  The surprising thing to me, is that what happens in the running group so early in the morning feeds energy into so many other goals.  So many times I have been working on a tough part of a painting and I just can’t seem to get it and feel like I am at a loss- and I honestly can hear what Gilbert tells us on the track when we think we are “too tired” to do any more- he says “DO IT FOR THE LOVE!!!”  And so I do.

So, the reason I started blogging- well, actually there are several! 

The first is that I value the process that each artist follows in creating a finished work of art, and I wanted the chance to explore mine more publicly.  People ask me every so often if my paintings are photographs, or if I use a projector, or if they are prints (the answers are all NO!!).  I still believe that the finished product speaks for itself, but I want to also argue for the value in true craftsmanship and the neverending honing of better technique.  Luckily the viewer rarely sees the mishaps and stuggles that go into so many phases of a beautiful piece of artwork.  But I know other artists can relate.

Secondly, I hope to open a dialogue, to get feedback, and to foster a community for anyone interested in adding to the seemingly random scope of thoughts and goals pursued here.  I just like thinking a lot, and pondering things in great depth comes easy if a piece takes me weeks and weeks alone in a studio.  To be honest, the process can sometimes be lonely, and I invite you into all that goes on in my studio, and some of what goes on in my mind. 

And lastly, I want to document my progress.  I hardly ever have the natural forethought to take pictures of all my paintings while they endure so many days in the Ugly Duckling phase- so I think this will hold me more accountable.  I also want any aspiring artists (Hi, to all my old St. Michael’s art students!!!) to know deep down in their hearts that most artwork is very VERY ugly for most of its “life”, often until the end when it finally looks good enough to sign.  It looking terrible is not a good reason to stop making something.  In fact, it’s a pretty good reason to keep going =)

I leave you with a poem I had to memorize as a kid, that I have never forgotten:

http://www.bigbridge.org/eurosf/lawrencef.htm