mixed media
Kurtis Karr
Kurtis Karr
Kurtis Karr loves experimenting with unconventional mediums in a continual effort to capture a sense of the magical. His work is primarily
textural incorporating a subtle intermingling of regular patterns and amorphous shimmering colors.
As far as art education is concerned – although Kurtis did take several traditional art classes throughout his early school and college years – he is primarily self-taught in all the styles, techniques and mediums he currently employs. It was not until the last decade did Kurtis ever have the courage to use nontraditional mediums and texture in his work or to delve into the purely abstract. It was a sort of an early midlife crisis, he supposes. Whatever the case, Kurtis loves it. He would never again consider doing anything that lacked color and texture or was purely representational.
Kurtis Karr sometimes asks what he was thinking about when he was creating a particular piece. He could try to make something up that sounded deeply intellectual or spiritual but, in truth, he strives not to think about anything at all. This is a very old principal to which Kurtis was introduced in martial arts known as mushin. If he permits himself to be influenced by thoughts or preconceived notions 
about what a piece should be or how a piece should look, it almost always appears artificial or contrived. As in nature, Kurtis strives to make his pieces appear perfectly random yet with an underlying indefinable sense of purpose. 
Some people might accuse Kurtis of being inconsistent but he keeps his work fresh by continually experimenting with new techniques, materials or mediums. He usually produces only limited series of a particular style of work. If Kurtis develops a specific process or system for creating a piece, he feels his work is inexorably beginning to lose its spontaneity and ultimately, its joy of creation.
For Kurtis Karr, the hardest part of creating art is knowing how and when to quit. This is only because he loves the artistic process so much that he literally hates for it to end. For Kurtis, the finished work is just a by-product of the actual process. It is like a souvenir or vacation photograph which serves as a bittersweet reminder of a happy moment forever lost to time.
Casey Craig
Casey Craig
Casey Craig’s imaginative mixed media paintings range in color from subtle to vibrant depending on the mood she wants to create. Her stylized renditions of animals, still lifes, and trees are rich with textures and patterns. A variety of mixed media including paint, decorative and hand-painted torn papers, are used to achieve the effects that make her work distinctive.
Casey has been commissioned by The ASPCA, The Discovery Channel and several national magazines, newspapers and children’s publications. She obtained her BFA from the University of Texas and has won numerous awards and been recognized in shows from coast to coast. Her work is in both public and private collections and has been published and internationally distributed as fine art posters.
After living in Louisiana, California and Florida she has settled in the beautiful hill country of Wimberley, Texas. There she enjoys
working in her home studio where she lives with her husband, two sons and a rather large and goofy German Shepherd. Dividing her time between painting and family keeps her busy and content.
Artist Statement
My paintings evolve from my imagination, so I have the freedom to exaggerate patterns or create new ones where they have never existed.
I enjoy playing with color, design and texture and prefer to keep my compositions simple to suggest a sense of peace and serenity. Nature’s patterns and colors fascinate me and translating and magnifying these elements into my paintings keeps me inspired. Incorporating found, decorative and hand-painted papers into my work creates unique effects and gives me unlimited possibilities for exploring. The resulting images are colorful and stylized interpretations.
As an optimist, I bring a bright, positive perspective to painting. The subjects I choose show my love of nature and the simple pleasures we all enjoy. Painting is a joyful process for me and I want to share that with the viewer.
Please see our Mixed Media page for more of Casey Craig’s work!
