Artist profile
Karen
Preston
Karen Preston is an Australian artist whose work explores themes of excess, interconnectedness and transformation. She creates abstract compositions informed by the layered complexities within coastal ecologies.
Through her art making Karen explores alternative ways of imagining and seeing the environments that we live in. Her work is characterised by a meditative quality, with each piece inviting contemplation and introspection. Her work is held in public and private collections and has been celebrated for its ability to evoke calm and reflection. Karen has qualifications in the Visual Arts, Education and Social Sciences, she is the recipient of a number of awards, has held three solo exhibitions and is a regular participant in group shows.
Artist Career Highlights
- Best painting and best body of work awards, Arts Society of Phillip Island Region, 2023.
- One of three artists selected for the Contemporary Gippsland Artists exhibition at Kelly & Gemelli Gallery, 2023.
- Solo Exhibition, Switchback Gallery, Churchill, Victoria, 2019.
Artist Interview
How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?
My paintings can usually be traced back to a walk on the beach. I use my iPhone to record interesting aspects of the environment, like seaweed floating in the incoming tide, patterns formed in rock pools, accumulations along the tide line or light filtering through sea water. Back in the studio I select sections of the images, and enlarge and print them. Starting with the structure of the edited image I return to the memory of where it was taken and connect with whatever is happening for me emotionally and intellectually in that moment. The fun part is translating that fusion into an art piece. It is always like a joyful dance.
Tell us a bit about your story and how you came to be an artist
I always aspired to be an artist; it is impossible for me to think about life without making art. After completing a Diploma of Art and Design at Caulfield Institute of Technology in 1978, I began to establish my art practice with several group shows in Melbourne and on the Mornington Peninsula, resulting in purchases by Artbank and Trinity College, Melbourne University, together with a number of private commissions. In 1994 I paused my focus on building my career as an artist to take up a position as an academic at Monash University in Gippsland. I retired from full-time work to refocus on my art practice in 2017.
