About eight years ago Karl found the medium, but it
wasn’t until three years ago that he was able to retire
from his day job and pursue his work full-time. This has
changed how Karl creates.
Karl is inspired by his surroundings. He loves blues
and oranges, though he makes his own pigments from all
across the color spectrum. He used to take a lot of photos,
and still does on his morning walks. Sunrise and sunset, a
forest of trees, textures, fall colors, all influence his work.
Even the flowers in bloom in the backyard garden can
bring to life an idea for a color or a piece he makes.
Karl creates works from small blocks he might sell for
forty dollars to 30X80-inch canvases in the thousands. It
takes a lot of time and a lot of expensive wax and
precious pigments to create his pieces.
His first encaustic show was at Cooper’s Coffee. It was a
success by any measure. He sold about seven pieces and
got his first request for a commissioned work, a larger
version of something he had displayed. Karl still has one
of those original pieces stowed away in his studio. I asked
if it was for sale or a priceless memory. He smiled, “Well, I
mean, everything is for sale.”
He’s even sold his encaustics through Facebook. Just
posting some of his pieces as he does on his personal
profile, he is contacted on occasion to buy pieces. Last
week he was contacted by a buyer in Chicago.
His addition to the famed Attic Gallery was by
happenstance. As someone from Attic was delivering
art to a mutual customer, they saw Karl’s work up in the
house, about four or five pieces. The Attic contacted him
to be a part of their collection. This is something of an
accomplishment when the oldest art gallery in downtown
Portland calls you and not the other way ‘round.
Married as he is, he can now “paint” during the day
while his wife is at work, and then spend the evenings and
weekends with her. As an artist, or anyone for that matter,
this kind of balance is something we all set out to achieve:
Doing what you love all day and spending time with the
people that really matter as much as you can. It doesn’t
hurt that what he makes is beautiful art as well.
Karl’s work can be seen all over town from Lovejoy
Bakery in the Pearl District to Peoples Art in Pioneer
Square and Attic Gallery.
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