April 2020
Haynes Galleries presents “Karen Horn: Delicate Arrangements”
Virtual Exhibition
FRANKLIN— Haynes Galleries is pleased to present the virtual exhibition “Karen Horn: Delicate Arrangements.” It features Horn’s exquisitely designed and executed watercolor paintings of floral arrangements.
Based in California, Horn is able to bring her garden into her studio. It’s a perfect place for her to work. Its high ceilings, natural, warm light, and amble room help Horn achieve a level of delicacy and exactitude rarely seen in watercolor paintings.
Watercolors are generally associated with a loose, quick painting style, something more gestural. But Karen labors over her paintings. Each swipe and dab of the brush is precise. “I add layer after layer and then keep developing it. Sometimes my watercolors will have 20 to 30 layers.” Each watercolor takes a substantial about of time to create, resulting in just a few paintings finished each year.
But because of Horn’s skill and design sense, each painting appears effortless, no obvious reminder of the labor that went into it. They have an elegant, timeless quality that endures.
Part of the appeal of a Karen Horn watercolor is how it is arranged, with a strong formal sense. It is critical to Horn’s own satisfaction with the painting, saying “Nothing I do is ever a knock-off and nothing gets out of the studio until I’m completely happy with it.”