Karen Ann Hollingsworth's enchanting fantasy artwork

My personal highlight of the Capricon 39 Art Show
I've written several posts about Capricon 39, this year's Chicago convention from Phandemonium. I wrote about assorted (weather-related) experiences, and about fellow panelists who are authors, but no group of posts from me about a convention would be complete without mentioning the art.

In this case, one amazing artist, whom I particularly associate with Capricon. Although Karen Ann Hollingsworth exhibits her work at many different sf conventions art fairs, and other exhibitions, and although she is an accomplished illustrator as well, I first met her when we were on a panel together at Capricon 38. That also was the largest collection of her art all in one place that I'd seen.

I was enchanted.

 I'm also beyond excited to share some of her gorgeous work with you in this space. I hope her visual magic will enchant you, too.

Imagine is Hollingsworth's "signature" work, because it embodies so many aspects of her art.

I asked Karen for permission to post some of her images here, and she not only gave me permission--she gave me stories for each piece. Here's what she said about Imagine:

"I must lead with my signature piece Imagine. It combines both [of] the ways I approach my work. The right side the way I work when I do illustrations and commissions and the left is done in the intuitive way I approach my fine art pieces. It also embodies the sense of magic and wonder I try to infuse in all my work.

"Most of my work is done in watercolor and colored pencil on hot press watercolor paper. The only time I involve the computer is when I scan the images in to make reproductions, for a client or for doing promotion."

Catnip Dreams by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

Karen wrote: "Catnip Dreams is an example of one of my private commissions. I got permission from the client to sell reproductions of this one of the three images I did for them."

Shades of Grey by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

Karen described the origins of Shades of Grey: "This is an example of one of my intuitive fine art images. I was experimenting with doing a black and white watercolor."

I not only saw the next piece at Capricon 39, I voted for it. 

Just a Dream? by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

"Just a Dream? is my very latest piece, winner of the Capricon 39 Artist Challenge," Karen wrote. Challenge artists had to "incorporate a goat (the convention’s mascot) and three of the following five items: an animal skull, a carnivorous plant, a kaiju, a strange/glowing egg, or a monster-hunting weapon" in their composition.

Coffee Dragon by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

"Green Tea Dragon is one of my most poplar images. This year I finally got around to finishing the series, with the Coffee and Hot Cocoa Dragons," Karen wrote. "I do like doing series. I don't always realize . . . till after I do something that it will become a series."

And speaking of series (she has created 7 or 8 series so far), here's an example of another:

Great Horned Owl by Karen Ann Hollingsworth

"I completed [this series] last fall. My owls," Karen wrote. "I started with the Screech Owl that I had been hearing outside my window at night. I didn't know what it was. When I found out and saw photos I had to draw one. More often I hear the Great Horned Owls. To my amazement they sound just like the owls in cartoons. It's always special hearing them. I don't find they sound spooky at all."

I told her I usually like to include links to pages where people can buy prints, but she is still rebuilding after website problems last year. "As far as buying reproductions or prints of my work the best way to do so is in person at the Art Fairs and conventions I participate in," she said. "People can contact me online via email if they know the image they want."

What's next for Karen? "At the moment I am hard at work prepping for my next Art show/convention. . . . I'll be in Kansas City, MO [March 29-31, 2019] showing and selling in the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live pavilion [Booth #1412] within Planet Comicon. 

"It's my 6th time doing Spectrum Fantastic Art Live, but [my] first at Planet Comicon. Not certain how my work is going to go over. I plan to have more updates on my website soon about some of the special products I will have at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live  / Planet Comicon."

Don't worry, Karen. If the Planet Comicon attendees have eyes, they'll love your artwork!

IMAGES: All images are © 2007-2019 by Karen Ann Hollingsworth. They are posted here with her express permission. Please do not re-post any of them without her permission! For prints or more information about purchasing her originals, please follow her blog to learn about the art shows where she'll be exhibiting and selling her work, or contact her directly. Unfortunately, she's currently having to rebuild her website. Perhaps you can buy her art there at a future date.

Art Fair Delights: Phil Schmidt and Denny Dowdy

I recently found a couple of talented watercolorists at the 53rd Mid Winter Art Fair at the Ward Parkway Shopping Center in Kansas City, MO.

This year's Mid Winter Ward Parkway Art Fair was well-attended.

Phil Schmidt and Denny Dowdy both have been painting for several years, and neither is a stranger to Kansas City or this show. Both are masters of their demanding medium, and both have excellent websites where you can see much more of their work (see embedded links). 

Denny Dowdy's V-Highway Creek brilliantly demonstrates his command of the transparent watercolor medium.

Not surprisingly for watercolorists based in the Kansas City area, both men have been attracted to natural subjects. Dowdy seem more attuned to natural landscapes and river scenes. 

Same Creek-Different Place gives another virtuoso demonstration of Denny Dowdy's mastery of watercolor.

Schmidt is more drawn to wildlife (though natural beauty-spots form the background for most of his paintings).

Phil Schmidt captures a blue heron and its riverbank home, in his luminous painting Invasion of Privacy.

Schmidt's love of flying things extends beyond birds. He also has an entire collection of aviation subjects. 

Watch Your Six is a great example of Schmidt's aviation imagery, and also demonstrates his ability to compose dynamic action.

And you'll miss a treat if you don't also take a good look at Schmidt's nautical subjects. 

Phil Schmidt's flair for the dynamic surfaces with gusto in Hold on Tight.

Dowdy prefers subjects that move around less. In addition to his paintings of natural subjects, he also offers thoughtful images that turn relatively mundane architecture into objects of interest and beauty.

In Balconies, Dowdy uses rhythm and skill to portray a mundane subject in a pensive, lyrical way.

Asymmetrical balance and well-chosen details give Dowdy's Missouri Farmhouse an almost mystical feel.

As noted above, both painters have excellent websites with large galleries of images to explore. Both also exhibit their work in shows all over the Midwest. Please consult the calendars on their websites for more details.

IMAGES: The photo of the crowd and artists' displays at the 2016 Mid Winter Ward Parkway Art Fair is by Jan S. Gephardt (taken 2/14/16). Many thanks to the Watercolors by Denny Dowdy website for the photos of his paintings, and to the Phil Schmidt Watercolors website for the photos of his paintings.

This Month’s Art Fair Delight: Dawn LaGrave

I met Dawn LaGrave at the Brookside Art Fair in Kansas City, and was immediately blown away by her artwork. As a paper sculptor, I responded to the dimensionality of her work. And as an artist, I found the rhythmic abstractions of the images both fascinating and beautiful.

Here's a detail of LaGrave's Ste. Chapelle piece, showing the 3-D aspect.

I couldn’t wait to get inside her display and take a closer look at the work. These pieces would reward viewing again and again over time. One of my tests for “would I live with this piece?” is how well I think it would reward repeated viewing. I believe these images would stand up to that test beautifully.

LaGrave's Pink Dahlia is an eye-popper for sure.

If you agree with me that this is way cool work, you can see a much larger variety of images on Dawn’s website and her Facebook page. If you’re curious about her technique, she explains her process on her website.

Here's an idea of how she uses source photos. Very sorry--I couldn't find the name of this piece.

Here's what LaGrave did with a cactus photo.

The source photo was pretty interesting, but LaGrave's treatment takes it to a whole new level.

Dawn is one of those aesthetic beings who did not go to art school. She made a practical living in the corporate world of health insurance, until the urge to “do something more creative” with her life became an overriding need. As she explains in her “About the Artist” page, she brings her love of “geometry, angles and symmetry” to each piece, but she also enjoys bringing “a different perspective of actual places and things, to which people may have a strong connection.”  

This piece is based on a photo of the Smith Tower in Seattle, WA.

It’s better to see original artwork in person. Please look for Dawn at an art fair near you! Check her website for a list of upcoming appearances. 

The source photo is of Notre Dame de Paris.

If you’d like to buy some of her artwork, but she’s not scheduled to be at a show near you soon, she offers online purchasing options on her Facebook page, her website, and her catalog on ISSUU.

My friends who are sf fans will recognize the T.A.R.D.I.S. in this image.

IMAGE CREDITS: All artwork featured in this post is the work of Dawn LaGrave, and the images are posted with her permission. These artworks and others may be seen and purchased on her Facebook page, her website, and her catalog on ISSUU. A visit there will be time well spent!