Karen Spaulding

With a BFA from the University of Michigan, Karen got her feet wet in advertising,

then ran her own freelance graphic design business for over 20 years, while being

home with her four children. She has painted murals, portraits, pen and ink commissions

and custom-painted roof slates over the years, but returned to serious painting

when her husband was relocated to the Gulf Coast in 2008. She participated in many

shows, galleries and Plein air events during her 11 years there, and studied with

some incredible artists. Karen's first loves of watercolor and pencil were

influenced by the work of Wyeth, Turner, Homer and all of the Impressionists, as well as

childhood summers painting with her uncle on Lake Huron, and many years spent

sketching while sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, then Mobile Bay. She continues to

explore various surfaces and subjects, but gets most excited sharing her love of

plein air painting and studying botanical dry brush watercolor, and always has a

sketchbook or journal along to use on airplanes, sailboats and road trips. After moving back to Hampton, VA in 2019, just in time to embed herself in the art community before the pandemic, she was asked to host a Plein air event in her yard during that "dark time", through the nearby art center.

She was fortunate to experience her first artist residency in late summer of 2021 in Bath

County, VA for two weeks. Then in the fall of ’21, Karen was approached by a group of

painters asking her to mentor them on their painting journey, and they now paint at

her studio in Hampton one morning a week.

Apple, peach, fig and Meyer lemon trees as well as plenty of

perennials help create painting subjects. But the best part of being back in Virginia is being closer to all of her east coast children, and two Clarke County grandchidren. Karen is a member of the American Society of

Botanical Artists, Virginia Watercolor Society, Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists,

Hampton Arts League, Suffolk Plein Air Painters, Newport News Urban Sketchers

and serves on the board of the Hampton Arts Foundation. In the spring, she will be opening the 110 Gallery, a fine art gallery in the historic arts district of Hampton. 

email: kspaulding614@gmail.com

110galleryphoebus@gmail.com

phone: 757-879-3266

facebook: Spauding Creative