Karen
Phillips Curran
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WHAT
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Watercolours |
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WHERE
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Ferrytale
Studio, 1052 Rideau Ferry Rd., Rideau Ferry,
Walkerworks Picture Framing, Perth,
Philip K. Wood Gallery, Almonte,
Keffer Gallery, Almonte |
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SHOWS
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Country
Lanes Studio Tour, Lanark, May 18th-20th |
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WHY
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"I
know it doesn't put bread on the table or pay
the mortgage, but it feels great!" |
Images
of Karen's work
Previous
Artist Trading Cards
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Karen
Phillips Curran - At Home And Abroad
By Hans Rolf
Karen Phillips Curran has just returned from a successful
two-week walking tour of Bermuda, where she was told that
her art has hit the big time. She is now part of the Masterworks
Foundation Collection, generally bestowed on local artists
as part of the island country's recognition of lasting achievement.
One of her Bermuda watercolours hangs in the opposition leader's
office.
Though she's been selling her art at various galleries on
the island for a dozen years, it's her first artistic kudos.
"I know that doesn't put bread on the table or pay the
mortgage, but it feels great."
As an omen, she says, it's good for what she's planning locally.
While the watercolourist has sold well internationally throughout
the United States and Europe, her modest ambition is to at
least equal her sales and thus, recognition, in Canada. For
what it's worth, she says she fits into that dubious category
of Canadian artists having to sell abroad to make a living.
"That's not a complaint," says the artist, who often
signs her letters, "From the artist formerly known as
starving. It's just fact of Canadian artistic life."
In her early days after graduating from the High School of
Commerce's art program, she lived for a time without central
heat, hydro or running water. "And the outhouse, with
the turkey guarding it, was treacherous to get to." Karen
has been a part of that Canadian artistic landscape, particularly
in the Ottawa area, where she was born, for more than 25 years.
It's akin to listening to a confession when she proudly admits
that she's done little else but art to make a living.
"Certainly, it was hard some times, but that's who I
am. That's what I do," she says as she looks around at
the works surrounding her. Finished and unfinished, they are
mostly watercolours of architectural images. Some are from
Almonte, Perth, and Carleton Place. Others are from Cuba,
Bermuda, Mexico and the southern United States.
During her lean days, to afford a trip to further her now
massive portfolio of images, she organized a consortium to
send her abroad to Ireland, Bermuda and Mexico - promising
each investor a return of art for their contribution. So,
if there were 10 contributors, she'd be busy painting away
her artistic debts, before she could earn her bread and butter.
Today, she can pay for her own tickets, thank you.
While she's living on not quite the shoe string she once held
onto tightly, she's also slowly fulfilling a life-long dream
to open up her own show space. She doesn't resent the fact
that her art brokers collect a hefty percentage of the sale
price of a piece, which in Karen's case now sell for as much
as $2700. "There's just something about displaying your
own work in your own space," she says as she looks around
what will soon be known as Ferrytale Studio. "Look at
this place. It's 165 years old. That's pre-confederation.
The trees for this house were felled when Perth was in its
glory days, not that it isn't a beautiful town today. It is.
But Perth was a bustling 19th Century boom town during and
after the Rideau Canal construction. They're old growth white
cedar, some two feet wide. There is hardly anything like this
around these days. It's history. Many of the paintings I do
are historical buildings and signs. They're buildings and
signs that are quickly disappearing, just like part of this
place was disappearing before we recognized its potential.
It's a perfect place to show my art."
The studio has a 12-foot high log wall which will be the prime
hanging area. Across from the great log wall, through a sliding
door, is a peaceful view of the Lower Rideau. Her personal
workspace - the place where she creates her art - will be
right upstairs from the showspace, with a crow's nest view
of the gallery itself. With window at all four points of the
compass, the light in the room is spectacular. She can see
Hog Island and the tower in Smiths Falls on a clear day.
Along with her partner, who's the major contractor on the
project, she's planning a Summer Solstice grand opening for
their Ferrytale Studio. Her partner is also a photographer
and will be displaying some of his work alongside hers. It's
located at 1052 Rideau Ferry Rd., within a short walk of the
government docks beside the new ShipWreck Inn, once the historic
Rideau Ferry Inn.
Karen is opening the showspace with the aim to "... create
something unique, a place where artists will want to show
their work." She's also considering running small classes
at the studio, including life?drawing evenings and art workshops.
"We've got the space, so when the time comes, why not
use it. It will certainly help the local economy. Other business
people in the village seem enthusiastic."
The couple is also gathering information on the history of
the log house they bought a year and a half ago. "This
place was brought here in the 20s or 30s, moved log by log
from Poland, rebuilt here by the McLean family. It's a home
with a lot of love in it." They plan to recognize the
family who brought it here, by posting a history of the log
home near the threshold of the studio.
Along with the plans for her showspace, Karen is also preparing
for the Country Lanes Studio Tour (a six-stop Lanark tour
from May 18-20), and a show at the Almonte Bistro in August
and September, as well as keeping other local galleries showing
her work supplied with new images.
Local shops and galleries showing Karen's work include: Walkerworks
Picture Framing in Perth, and the Philip K. Wood and Keffer
galleries in Almonte.
As if she doesn't have enough on her plate, Karen is also
the head set painter at the National Art Centre in Ottawa.
This year she has six plays to paint!
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