ABOUT THE ARTIST

Biography

Karen Abel has worked with clay for over 30 years while pursuing a career in advertising and marketing in the South Puget Sound area. She holds a communication and advertising degree from the University of Washington and has taken various ceramic and glass courses at the Kirkland Art Center, Pratt Art Center, and Bellevue College. She was the founding executive director of a non-profit art center in Issaquah, Washington and currently maintains a full-time studio practice at Whidbey Clay Center in Freeland, as well as her private studio.

statement

I’ve been blessed with a life rich in stories of family, friends, neighborhoods and community, thus home and hearth themes have always resonated strongly. Narrative is central to all my work and I try to communicate stories through images etched into the clay or through the interaction of birds with each other and with their surroundings.

Stories often emerge from the marks created by the clay texturing process which I try to keep loose and spontaneous. Houses, window, doors, walls and stairs are overflowing with symbolism for most people. My challenge is often to leave enough ambiguity in my structure’s shape and imagery so that others can complete the story with their own memories and emotions.