ART & LITERATURE

Landscape A collection of recent landscape paintings by Karla Pearce that reflect and record the beautiful West Kootenay country side where she lives. Acrylic Floral These paintings describe the flora in nature. They are big, bright, luminous, decorative interpretations of flowers. These are large works of energy and light. The paintings hold strong compositional elements as well as advanced color theory and Pearce doesn't stop there. Always feeling the need to push herself further Pearce has added the elements of sparkles and iridescent paint to these works of art. They change as the light changes around them. Pearce has infused her work with her creative energy and undying optimism. These paintings are complete, they require no frame, unless desired, and are ready to hang in your home, business, or gallery. Watercolor These luscious smaller scale watercolours will fill your space with energy and light. The transition from the large labour intensive acrylic to a much smaller and quicker watercolours seems a natural one. Some of these paintings remain gestural in nature. They retain a sense of light, contrast, and optimism which has become one of Pearce's signatures. All paintings are on watercolour paper .These works may be purchased framed or unframed. Figurative Acrylic and Watercolor Paintings These paintings portray the human through Karla Pearce's eyes. Some are academic in nature, some interpretive. All are sensitive to the world around us .They give us light, emotion and a glimpse into who we are. Most of these works are unframed. Paintings on Oak ( cabinet doors) Lushes smaller scale paintings of flora and food painted on Oak Cabinet doors. These pieces are one of a kind and speak about the home and kitchen where Pearce would spend much of her time looking after her family. Sculpture A collection of Pearce's three dimensional figurative paintings. These works carry Pearce's signature of lightness. The forms themselves become a type of picture plane for Pearce's palette to romp through. These intimate ceramic sculptures tickle us with their sense of character and humour. The viewer gets a close look into Pearce's most important work, her family. Nelson Civic Centre Mural Removal 2004 Sadly three murals that were created by the children of Nelson, artist Karla Pearce with the support of the Nelson and District Recreation Commission, local Nelson businesses ( Maglio Building Centre, Hipperson Hardware, Kootenay Industrial, Heritage Printing and Wall-Mart) have been permanently removed. Despite the City of Nelson's unanimous approval of the art work, Nelson's Heritage Committee voted that the murals be removed because they do not fit with the building. The murals are Pearce's designs that are based on imagery from the Art Nouveau/ Art Deco period. The subject matter is landscape/floral and each one celebrates the beauty and energy of the West Kootenay area. The murals were painted by 25 children that were supervised by Pearce. They are currently being stored in a garage and Pearce is searching for a permanent location for the artwork where they will be valued and appreciated. Nelson Central School Mural Project 2002 There has been an explosion of art work in the last year in Nelson BC. Murals are popping up all over the place. Artist Karla Pearce and some two hundred and fifty students ranging from six years old to twelve, have recently embarked in a fifty foot long, four hundred square foot mural project situated on the exterior of one of Nelson's favourite historical landmarks Central School. The images (four) are designed and drawn in by Pearce but the students are doing all the painting. One is a depiction of the city, another a mountain floral landscape and a couple of Art Nouveau doors separating the two. Pearce has chosen brilliant day-glow colors reflecting the energy and light of the children she worked with. The mural was completed June 7 2002. Family Portraits A sensitive collection of portraits of those closest to Pearce, her family. These paintings are in the private collection of Pearce or her immediate family. A commission can be arranged for a similar type of portrait. Wood paintings A collection of work spanning 1995 to 1998. Pearce at this time was rebuilding her life in Nelson British Columbia and had very little income. Unable to afford canvas Pearce made do with what she had. She took cast off pieces of plywood sanded them and used them as painting surfaces. These acrylic paintings are smaller scale as they were mostly completed on the kitchen table, or on her lap. Karla had no studio at this time. In fact Karla, Jim and Anise all lived in a tiny 600 square foot apartment for three years. Jim Pearce fondly recounts this time period as the Love Nest Years. These paintings are autobiographical. They tell the stories of Karla's journey into wellness. These paintings are ready to hang and require no frame unless desired. Anise and the Magic Fish Karla Pearce's first literary publication. A childrens' story written and illustrated by Karla Pearce containing the adventures of her daughter Anise and a couple of Magic Fish. These paintings are not for sale. Karla Kitsch A collection of art work that sits uncomfortably on the edge of art and craft. Pearce has never really bothered herself with the notion of high art and craft. Art in her eyes should be a fun experience regardless of the outcome. These pieces reflect that philosophy. They are light, quirky and very inexpensive. Small Paintings These are post card size little life sketches painted with acrylic on card. They tell stories of Pearce's life much like a photograph but with much more enthusiasm and energy. Pearce's love for Star Trek sneaks out in a few unauthorised portraits of the crew. Erotica A collection of erotic paintings and sculptures. This collection documents the emotional high Pearce was turned on to, when she met her husband. It is full of lust, desire, a re-discovered sexuality and love. Introspective works A collection of Pearce's highly personal paintings. They reflect periods in Pearce's life that were full of hardship and pain. These paintings, despite the sad content helped the artist to take the emotions that brewed inside her and exorcize them into artwork. This process of healing is what draws many to the art making process in the first place. It is also used widely by health care professionals and is called Art Therapy. Mother An unexpected pregnancy changes everything. Pearce had her first daughter at the young age of twenty four. Trying to understand her place in the new roll of mother Pearce searched backward in time through her own past and her family. For many years the picture plane interested Pearce as she would create the frame work for the painting first and work out the imagery after. Untraditional mediums were used such as wood, air drying modelling clay, urethane paint, fabric paint, glue, sparkles and colour copies. Pearce gained national recognition for this work at her showing at The Edmonton Art Gallery in Alberta, 1993 and again at the Alternator Gallery in Kelowna, British Columbia the same year. We walk with Pearce through the early years of motherhood and a hopeless marriage. Despite this the work portrays beams of hope and optimism all flowing together with Pearce's child-like energy. Pig Paintings These are the three remaining Pig Paintings out of twenty completed in 1989.They were shown at a club called Cover to Cover in Calgary Alberta in 1989. A young blond Jan Arden played the opening night. A couple of years later at another club Karla read Jan's palm. Karla told Jan that she was going to be famous, Jan said I know that! I want to know when. Karla Pearce and The Creative Edge on BKRadio in the Kootenays Karla Pearce speaks about art in the Kootenays on BKRadio in a one minute feature that plays throughout the day. This feature is taken from her column The Creative Edge that can be read in SKAT, The Nelson Daily News, Trail Daily Times, The Castlegar Citizen and Opus Newsletter. The Creative Edge Karla Pearce writes art critiques of West Kootenay artists as well as visiting artists called The Creative Edge. Pearce's work can be read in The Nelson Daily News, The Trail Daily Times, Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine and one can hear The Creative Edge as told by Pearce on BKRadio. Pearce bridges high art to mainstream public, making it accessible for everyone. She gives a fair and balanced critique without undue negativity or cheerleading enthusiasm. Pearce believes in the insight of the individual artist. Through in-depth interviews and photographs Pearce and brings visual artist's achievements into the public eye one at a time. This is a collection of previously published editions of The Creative Edge. SKAT Some Kootenay Arts Talk Magazine SKAT (Some Kootenay Arts Talk) Magazine focuses on the wealth of creative energy in the West Kootenays and mirrors the intelligent diverse community it serves. SKAT provides artists and writers an opportunity to speak in their own voice. SKAT is currently calling for submissions of fiction, poetry and artwork 500 to 700 words. Please e-mail to: Publisher/Editor Karla Pearce, karla@karlapearce.com The Creative Edge on TV Among other things Karla Pearce is a TV Host and Columnist . After writing and hosting an arts feature, The Creative Edge, on commercial radio (BKRadio) for four years, Pearce moved The Creative Edge into television format which airs on Plugged In on Shaw TV. Pearce visits West Kootenay artists in their home studios and galleries helping to bring awareness to the artists and the art community as a whole. The Creative Edge is published in Kootenay Carnival Magazine, The Kootenay Western Star, www.nelsonbc.ca and www.artistsincanada.com . Pearce has also written for The Nelson Daily News, The Trail Daily Times, Opus magazine and Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine. Karla Pearce believes in the insight of the individual artist. Through in-depth interviews, photographs opinion pieces and illustrations The Creative Edge brings visual artist's achievements into the public eye one at a time. Below are 4 minute shorts of the Creative Edge feature on Shaw TV.