Portrait of an Artist: Karen Rosaco

I became acquainted with the work of Karen Rosaco [Facebook; Pintrest] of Waynesboro, Virginia, as part of my research into regional artists for the Cherry Bounce Show at the William King Museum of Art.  A teacher of art, formerly in the schools and now privately, Rosaco's work is stunning - powerful swaths of color with a form and structure I consider rare in general, and particularly in her medium of choice, watercolors.  Some of her work is figurative, floral, avian,
or architectural and beautiful, to say the least, but it is her abstract that most draws me in - I'm reminded of 20th Century expressionists and abstract expressionists (Egon Schiele's landscapes, Willem de Kooning's ferocity, Mark Rothko's fields of color) and of beautiful found-cloth quilts, carefully articulated like stained glass or wall-building.

To see Rosaco's work in person, check out these current shows:

​Facets - at the Shenandoah Valley Arts Center in Waynesboro, VA. My solo show showcases 40+ pieces and celebrates my mixed-media approach to shape, color, texture and form. Opening reception on Saturday April 1 from 6-8pm. [note she has other work on display at the SVAC as well!]

In Ella's Lifetime: 100 Artists for Ella - at the Downing-Gross Cultural Center in Newport News, VA. My contribution is a creative interpretation of Ella Fitzgerald's "Anything Goes".  100 artists, painters, printmakers, sculptors, and photographers were given titles of Ella's songs to use as motivation for pieces to hang in the center and then travel globally to sister cities in France, Germany, China and Japan through April 2018.

Two for Two: Two Artists for Two Days -  at the Caldwell Studio in Staunton, VA. I'm showing with Susan Crave Rosen on May 5 & 6 with an opening reception on Friday from 5 pm to 8 pm. On Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, see artist demonstrations and create art by participating in a Beverley Street Studio School fundraiser. The public is invited create collage and paint abstract shapes, patterns, and textures on a large canvas. The finished community painting "One City, Many Voices" will be available for a silent bidding auction at CoArt Gallery for two weeks in June with the winner announced June 23.'

Departure Museum Shop - Albany Airport, Albany, NY

Flying Fox Vineyard - Afton, VA

​Reid Street Gallery - Chatham, VA