Frog-like forms reaching north; cows, goats, and elephants, each a suggestion, rising out of solid beeswax and resin. This is the work of Karen Bright, where a palette of whimsy, wonder, and concern is primary.

Engaged in a variety of adjacent disciplines, Bright’s work encompasses an approach devoid of the planned or expected. In contradiction, every action taken, every decision made – by definition a singular act – is applied as just one step amongst a multiplicity of actions. The result is an end state that is transcendent and new, seeping with meaning and purpose.

This articulation of a well-situated curve or shape living in defiance of gravity; that line marking a moment for all eternity – all are intended to build upon inherent, and often conflicting values – these are the tools that compel the artist to take chances and to move forward. In the end, Bright’s work stops just shy of short, leaving space for the viewer to interpret and to respond.

As educator and professor emeritus, holding degrees in both printmaking and graphic design, with years of self-initiated training in painting and sculpture, Bright’s formal techniques abound; but it is in the subtle layering of concepts meeting form, texture, and volume that she best lays down her artistic vision and message for the future.