KARINA D. SIMON
pencil artist
ARTIST PROFILE
ABOUT ME
In my recent practice as an artist, my practice centers on the use of colored pencil to render highly realistic depictions of abstract paint forms. While the resulting images appear to be composed of thick, three dimensional impasto or sculptural paint applications, they are in fact entirely drawn with colored pencil.
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This approach intentionally subverts traditional expectations of both medium and technique, challenging the viewer's perception of material and surface.
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The creative process begins with an intuitive, exploratory engagement with actual paint. At this stage, I treat paint as a playful medium; squeezing it from tubes, manipulating it with freedom and in a spontaneous manner; much like a child might engage in uninhibited artistic play. This act of uninhibited experimentation serves as a foundation through which I generate abstract shapes that embody the emotional or conceptual themes I wish to express.
Following this expressive phase, I transition to a highly technical and methodical mode of creating art. The spontaneously created paint forms are carefully rendered in colored pencil with attention to light, shadow, and texture. This hyper realistic drawing process transforms informal gestures into sophisticated artwork that evoke depth and substance.
My work ultimately occupies a liminal space between drawing and painting, spontaneity and precision, illusion and reality. Through this practice, I seek to explore broader question of perception, material, and the intersection of visual language and embodied experience.