There’s something about these marble dust panels just waiting to be painted that gets me every time. Turning my guest room back into a studio after giving up painting for a year of pregnancy and the natural light beaming in the window aren’t hurting my sentiments either.
The closest thing I can relate it to for my non arty friends is drinking a morning cup of coffee on a Saturday before you start to make banana pancakes,
or not because your day is entirely up to you.
This is an amazing program with such talented individuals. I had the privilege of teaching here while living in Juneau. This video melts my heart!
After spending the day hanging artwork on mirrored panels and creating make shift lighting systems with duct tape and speaker stands, I managed to not have any butterflies left for the opening of Modus Union. By 7 p.m. the crowd arrived filling the cocktail hour and corridor. It was a social affair mixed with art appreciation.
None of the artists had work fly off the walls, but prospective connections were made. I did meet an art agent and Maple Syrup (my dog) may have landed a gig as a fashion dog. My favorite moment of the night was watching a gentlemen read my entire artist statement on an art card and then carefully tuck it into his coat pocket for safe keeping.
Lela Rose’s show was amazing. Her attention to shape and detail was noted.
The challenge for me with this project was keeping with my fine art aesthetic, which is abstract and contemplative. Instead of nature, a stable muse in my life, my inspiration began with the color and line used in Lela Rose’s 2010 spring collection. Sketching and studying such tactile pieces lead me to contemplate structure and then measurements. As the work progressed, I kept coming back to the definition of measurement for me. I’m calling this series “Measurements of Me.” 
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When we moved to Alaska, I only brought the basic art supplies. Last week I finally purchased some wood tools to make my own canvases again. It was liberating and exhausting. I love power tools! I made two 3 by 4’, 2 by 4’, and 3 by 3’ canvases. Our house now looks like the Karen Museum of Soon to Be Art.
I call this one …
Even Pets Enjoy Laundry
Karen Suderman: 