Exploring creativity in all its forms

Karen Johnson currently hails from Grand River, but her paintings have traveled around the world. The artist, chosen for the January and February installations at the Clarke Area Arts Council’s exhibit at Lakeside Casino & Hotel, has spent the last 43 years painting in a multitude of media and styles.

“When I started, I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t draw. I didn’t know anything about art,” said Johnson. “I just knew I wanted to make it.”

Along with exhibiting with CAAC, Johnson intends on teaching painting classes.

“I am a firm believer that anyone can paint if they want to. They just need to be helped with what to use and how to use it,” she said.

Johnson’s paintings range from soft watercolors to vibrant cityscapes and bold abstracts. Her choice of colors helps create just the right atmosphere for each piece.

“She’s representational. She’s expressionistic,” said CAAC board member Mary Ellen Kimball, adding it was Johnson’s broad range of subjects and mastery of different media that drew the council’s interest.

Johnson’s favorite paintings incorporate nature.

“I like the mountains and the animals,” she said. “They’re fun to do.”

The artist has even developed a taste for the abstract, a style it took 40 years to try. Now? She’s embraced, ­ some would say harnessed,­ its wild spirit.

“You’re going to laugh when I tell you this.” She said. “If I’m in the mood to do something abstract, I will just start putting paint on. Then, I just stand back, look and see what I see, and go from there.”

It’s a more therapeutic art form than other styles, certainly, but Johnson has found it helpful in all forms of her work.

“If I get into a paint block, that’s a good way to unblock it. Do something crazy. That’s what abstract is all about,” she said.

“It’s relaxing. You can just let everything come out,” she said, though sometimes, she notes, you let too much out and wind up with a mess.

“It takes a lot of space to paint, if you really want to get into it,” said Johnson. “You do have to be cautious where you’re at.”

Earlier in her career, Johnson had her own studio in Southern Texas. Her paintings sold to private collections all over the world. These days? She’s scaled her practice back a bit.

“I do all the little art and craft shows,” she said.

Those types of engagements help draw traffic to her webiste, InspiredArtbyK.com. She’s been getting more active in the art community in Iowa recently, however, with trips to Des Moines and by reaching out to the council in Osceola.

Information on classes, future projects and new opportunities for artists in the area can be discovered at CAAC meetings, 7 p.m. every 3rd Monday at the Clarke County Development Corporation, 115 E. Washington St. The public is welcome to attend.