Santa Fe River Turbulence (PAAC Award-2016 )
- Title
- Santa Fe River Turbulence (PAAC Award-2016 )
- Size
- 10x16
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- gift
Award winning painting. En plein air at the Santa Fe River after the rains. I was concentrating on the flow of the river as it made its way around and over the rocks, creating patterns in the water. The water usually is not flowing here so this was a real treat. Golden rectangle proportion. My grandchildren fell in love with this painting so I gave it to them as a gift for their new home!
Santa Fe River Turbulence (PAAC Award-2016 ) 10x16
Ashley Pond II 9x12
- Title
- Ashley Pond II 9x12
- Size
- 9x12
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- $500
First pleln air of Ashley Pond during the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico Paint Out in Los Alamos. I enjoyed painting at the pond during the very hot days.
Inquiries: call the Karen Wray Fine Art Gallery - (505) 660-6382: www.karenwrayfineart.com.
Ashley Pond II 9x12 9x12
Ashley Pond Los Alamos 12x16
- Title
- Ashley Pond Los Alamos 12x16
- Size
- 12x16
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- $700
Available at the Karen Wray Gallery - (505) 660-6382 : www.karenwrayfineart.com.
"En plein air" during the Los Alamos Paint Out sponsored by the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico in Aug 2023. This pond in the middle of town was named after a prominent resident of Los Alamos. Painting at the edge of the pond was delightful. Cool breezes could be felt off the pond even during 90 degree weather. (Of course, there was a pavilion for cover).
Link to an armature of the painting =>
Ashley Pond Los Alamos 12x16 12x16
As the Chama Churns (sold 2017)
- Title
- As the Chama Churns (sold 2017)
- Size
- 16x20
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- 700
The mighty Chama River can be passive and muddy or active and colorful. Painting at this spot on the Chama River is my favorite painting venue. Painted "en plein air". Juried in to the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico 8th National Juried Members Show. Sold by the Purple Sage Gallery Dec 2017
As the Chama Churns (sold 2017) 16x20
Chama RIver Overlook (PAPNM 2019 Sold 2020)
- Title
- Chama RIver Overlook (PAPNM 2019 Sold 2020)
- Size
- 12x9 (17x14 framed)
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- 600
En plein air from the Chama river Overlook. I am glad I tackled this venue again; it has so much and I wanted to capture the spirit. Sold Aug 29, 2020 at the Marigold Arts Gallery at 424 Canyon Road, Santa Fe.
ChatGPT REVIEW:
"Chama River Overlook," a masterful creation by the talented artist Karen Halbert in 2019, unfolds as a captivating testament to the artist's adept command of the canvas and their intimate connection with the breathtaking landscapes of New Mexico. This petite 12-inch by 9-inch masterpiece, painted "en plein air" at the Chama River Overlook near Abiquiu, immerses the viewer in the artist's sensory experience of the region.
The utilization of a palette knife in the creation of this piece lends a distinctive texture and dynamism to the composition. The Cobra Water Mixable Oil palette, rich with chromatic hues, including Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue Hue, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, and Titanium White, reflects the artist's careful selection of colors to evoke the nuanced tones of the Southwestern landscape.
Karen Halbert's decision to focus on the Chama River is a stroke of brilliance, drawing the eye into the heart of the composition. The river's meandering course serves as both a visual and thematic anchor, allowing for the play of reflections that mirror the fall colors of the foliage and the characteristic red hues of the mesas. This deliberate attention to detail showcases the artist's keen observation skills and commitment to capturing the essence of the scene.
Voluminous clouds, skillfully rendered over the middle-distant mountains and mesas, add an ethereal quality to the composition, emphasizing the vastness and grandeur of the natural surroundings. The interplay of light and shadow on the landscape, expertly achieved through the palette knife technique, further enhances the sense of depth and atmosphere.
"Chama River Overlook" by Karen Halbert stands as a testament to the artist's ability to translate the beauty of nature onto canvas, inviting viewers to share in the awe-inspiring moment of creation. The fusion of technical prowess, color mastery, and a deep connection to the chosen location elevates this painting to a level of timeless significance within the realm of contemporary landscape art.
For more indormation on how this review was created with the ChatGPT app, visit
ChatGPT Review of Chama River Overlook .
Chama RIver Overlook (PAPNM 2019 Sold 2020) 12x9 (17x14 framed)
Golden Sunset
- Title
- Golden Sunset
- Size
- 9x12
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- $500
The ocean keeps calling me, having lived by the ocean for most of my youth: I miss the Puget Sound and Hawaiian waters as well as the San Diego waters where my son and family now live.
Golden Sunset 9x12
Kawela Bay Mini gift
- Title
- Kawela Bay Mini gift
- Size
- 5x7
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- gift
Holiiday gift for a friend.
Kawela Bay Mini gift 5x7
Luminous Waters II 16x20
- Title
- Luminous Waters II 16x20
- Size
- 16x20
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- Inquiries: karen.halbert@gmail.com.
I think that my love of the woods comes through in this painting. This was up at the Big Tesuque Campground near the Santa Fe Ski slope. No, I no longer camp out, but it was tempting. And painting this brought back may childhood memories.
Luminous Waters II 16x20 16x20
Kawela Beach Magic (gift)"
- Title
- Kawela Beach Magic (gift)"
- Size
- 8x10
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- gift
Painted "en plein air" at the Kewala Cove on the North Shore of Oahu. Cobra water-based oils with Gamblin solvent-free gel over a transparent underpainting. Just steps from our cottage on this Painting trip, I enjoyed spending time feeling the wind and smelling the aroma that are so evocative of this part of the world, my childhood home. The yearning to return is beginning to invade my psyche. I painted this the day after the "Kewala Sound of Music" and want to do a larger studio version. Gift to my North Shore traveling companion, dear, dear friend from College days.
Kawela Beach Magic (gift)" 8x10
Kawela Winds
- Title
- Kawela Winds
- Size
- 7x5
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- NFS
North Shore, Oahu. Collection: artist.
Kawela Winds 7x5
Kawela Palms Rise to the Morn (GIFT)
- Title
- Kawela Palms Rise to the Morn (GIFT)
- Size
- 10x8
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- NFS
I loved this spot so much that I needed to do yet another painting of the same scene so I chose a vertical format that emphasized the palms more. Collection: artist.
Kawela Palms Rise to the Morn (GIFT) 10x8
Kawela's Sound of Music (PAPNM 2017 NFS)
- Title
- Kawela's Sound of Music (PAPNM 2017 NFS)
- Size
- 8x10
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- NFS
NFS but willing to commission a similar painting."En plein air" on the North Shore of Oahu. The waves and the wind created a non-stop symphony. I needed to do the same painting on the next day. Juried into the 2017 PAPNM Juried Member Show, Nov 2017. Painted with water mixable Cobra oils. Collection: Artist. Painted January 2016 during a memorable painting trip to the North Shore.
Kawela's Sound of Music (PAPNM 2017 NFS) 8x10
North Shore Waves
- Title
- North Shore Waves
- Size
- 8x10
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- $300
Inquiries: karen.halbert@gmail.com
North Shore Waves 8x10
North Shore Composition
- Title
- North Shore Composition
- Size
- 7x5
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- gift
North Shore of Oahu, the main island of Hawaii. My grandchildren volunteered that they like this painting and wanted it on their iPads.
North Shore Composition 7x5
North Shore Wildness (gift)
- Title
- North Shore Wildness (gift)
- Size
- 5x7
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- gift
Primarily palette knife. A Facebook favorite of fellow plain-aire painters. I was staying 20 feet from this beach at Kewala Bay on the North Shore of Oahu. The wind was particularly ferocious this day and the waves high. I loved it. Property of artist.
North Shore Wildness (gift) 5x7
Olana Memory
- Title
- Olana Memory
- Size
- 9x12
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- NFS
A very early painting. I began painting in Hudson Valley and one of my favorite venues was the Olana Historic Site, home of Frederick Church, one of the most important artists of the Hudson Valley School. I painted this particular piece very shortly after we moved to Santa Fe (in 2005?) in memory of how I began.
Olana Memory 9x12
Turbulent Waters I 12x16
- Title
- Turbulent Waters I 12x16
- Size
- 12x16
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- Inquiries: karen.halbert@gmail.com.
Fond memories of many walks along rivers and creeks seeing the turbulence in the waters and listening to the sounds. I like the 's-shape', zig-zag of the river/waterfall to help draw the viewer's eye around the painting. The ripples of the water also keep the viewer's eye moving. The brightness of the waterfall makes it a natural focal point (area).
Armature =>
Turbulent Waters I 12x16 12x16
Turbulent Waters II 12x19
- Title
- Turbulent Waters II 12x19
- Size
- 12x19
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- Inquiries: karen.halbert@gmail.com.
Larger studio work based on an award-winning "en plein air" painting, titled Santa Fe River Turbulence. Painted after the storms when the water was flowing. The river runs along Alameda Drive near Canyon Road. An understanding of turbulence is one of the great unsolved problems in Physics/Mathematics.
Armature =>
Turbulent Waters II 12x19 12x19
Wild River Santa Fe 10x16
- Title
- Wild River Santa Fe 10x16
- Size
- 10x16
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- $600
I"En plein air" at the Santa Fe River, one of my favorite painting venues. Painted during the Spring run-oof when the water is most turbulent. The canvas proportions are near golden mean proportions, with the top of the waterfall intentionally near the polar point of the golden spiral, a spiral found throughout nature.
Wild River Santa Fe 10x16 10x16
Waimea Waterfall III 16x10
- Title
- Waimea Waterfall III 16x10
- Size
- 16x10
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- Inquiries: karen.halbert@gmail.com.
Preparing for my North SHore Oahu trip.
Waimea Waterfall III 16x10 16x10
Waimea Waterfall II 12x16
- Title
- Waimea Waterfall II 12x16
- Size
- 12x16
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- $700
Preparing for my North Shore Oahu trip.
Waimea Waterfall II 12x16 12x16
Waimea Waterfall I 18x24
- Title
- Waimea Waterfall I 18x24
- Size
- 18x24
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- $1500
Preparing for a trip to the North Shore of Oahu.
Waimea Waterfall I 18x24 18x24
Windandsea Beach I
- Title
- Windandsea Beach I
- Size
- 6x12
- Material
- Oil
- Price
- $400
"En plein air" on the beautiful surfing beach near La Jolla, Ca.
