A new artist is in town this third Thursday for the Arts Walk. Originally from Cambridge, Massachussets, Karen Wysopal started drawing and painting as a child and studied artisan crafts in high school. After moving to Corvallis in 2011, she began working as a software developer with Hewlett-Packard, but left the job last January to return to making art full-time.
Wysopal is drawn to abstract expressionism and finds inspiration in the works of artists like Wassily Kandinsky. Her vivid paintings, made with alcohol inks applied to yupo paper, are action-based and display Wysopal’s desire to reflect the ebb and flow of mercurial changes that occur in everyday life.
The artist’s work can be seen at her studio down the hall from the Advocate Loft. She has created handmade greeting cards for the First Alternative Co-op North Store and local women’s clothing boutique Sibling Revelry. She is also showing—and selling—pieces at Studio262, including prints and cards.
What motivates Wysopal to continue to explore new methods and mediums in art? People’s reactions to her work are important, she explains. “It’s always interesting to hear what it brings up for them. I like being reminded to look at things from alternative perspectives.”
Come and visit Wysopal at her studio on this month’s Corvallis Arts Walk. In the meantime, you can check out her original paintings, greeting cards, and bookmarks on her Etsy site, https://www.etsy.com/shop/
By Kiki Genoa
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