Educator
Art has been a lifelong hobby. Growing up in Zimbabwe with a father who was a professional artist, I had a constant source of inspiration. However, it was not until I moved to Australia in 1984, that I began to pursue art seriously. Even then, it took a mental-health issue in 2000 to steer me firmly on to the path of career artist. Art was my therapy back into the world and part of my passion was to share my knowledge so I began to teach drawing as a volunteer.
It occurred to me that many people thought drawing was something difficult to do and a spark of wanting to explain the ‘magic secret’ ignited in me. Fast forward many years and my dream came true. In 2003, after two years of teaching Drawing for Non-Drawers at UWA Extension I founded an art school - Galleria Art Studio - from where I taught over a thousand people to draw. I encouraged them to continue drawing with a new-found attitude of enthusiasm which overrode their initial fear and self-judgement.
At the beginning of 2019 I sold Galleria Art Studio to the amazing Mukami Ireri and continued to teach there until October 2021 but I haven’t stopped teaching.
I continue to reach new drawers through online tutorials, YouTube videos and, of course, my book, Get Drawing (Even if you think you can't!)
I specialise in teaching non-drawers simple observation skills while introducing them to the magic of the drawing process. My experience with people from all walks of life has kept me passionate about bringing creativity to those that think they ‘haven’t a creative bone in their body’.
I have a strong focus on teaching beginners in a fun and relaxing way and support and encourage the student whatever their ability. My overriding philosophy is the pleasure taken in the 'doing' regardless of the end result. The benefits of this creative exposure include an understanding of the process of art that they look at, the ability to view the world in a different way and the strengthened self-esteem that comes with taking a risk.
Since March 2020 (We all know what happened then!) I’ve been streaming weekly live drawing tutorials on my Facebook page. Karen Frankel Artist. You are welcome to sign up for my regular emails and join the Get Drawing Community
Photo by Tanya Izzard of GlobeVista
Artist
As an artist I strive to represent my observations in a manner that enriches my chosen subject. I exaggerate and zoom in to focus on specific attributes, e.g., beauty, intricacy, simplicity, strength or delicacy, that might otherwise not be obvious. I am constantly excited by what I see whether it is a small, perfectly formed wildflower or expansive skies over gorges in the Pilbara. Since retiring from teaching at Galleria Art Studio I have been concentrating on producing glassware. As with my paintings, these glass pieces feature Australian subjects. Having worked almost exclusively with mixed media on canvas my new glass collection is an exciting re-imagining of my signature layering process. It is a culmination of my experience working with layers of acrylic ink, paint, tissue, charcoal and graphite. I love observing shapes of colour, tone and texture which I then translate into characterful sketches and photographs. These then provide the starting point for further exploration in my studio.
I am constantly excited by what I see whether it is a small, perfectly formed wildflower or expansive skies over gorges in the Pilbara. The translucency of the material allows for the play of light and depth and the glass provides a magical quality.
I draw images and impressions of West Australian native flora into powdered glass (frit) to create sheets of colour and texture. Once these glass sheets are fired I cut them into smaller shapes which I then lay side by side with vibrant coloured glass to form a new layer. I keep in mind how each piece and layer visually interacts with another as I build up two or three layers. The combined layers are then fused together to create a wonderful criss-crossing of images and colour. I love the controlled ‘happy-accident’ nature of firing overlayed pieces of glass to find a delightful result upon opening the kiln.