K is for Karen Margulis

I created this blog in 2005 when I began my journey with pastels. Busy raising my two children, I had not touched a paintbrush in 20 years. I was anxious to get past the ‘pastel painting learning curve’ so I challenged myself to paint a small daily painting and post it to this blog....just to keep me accountable.  What happened as a result I could never have imagined. Not only did I start to get comfortable with the pastels and improve as an artist,  I met the most wonderful people online. People who shared my passion for art, nature, travel. People who encouraged me and motivated me to keep painting everyday. Daily painting and blogging became my refuge and my passion.  I love sharing my vision through my paintings and appreciate your visits.

About Me

I was born in Connecticut, grew up in South Florida and spent summers in the North Carolina Mountains.  I currently live in Marietta Georgia, just outside of Atlanta.  I graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Education. I operated a family day care for 21 years so that I could stay home with my own 2 children. We traveled every summer with the kids and tried to visit every National Park. Most of my paintings are inspired by the photos I took on these adventures. I am now painting and teaching pastel classes and workshops full time. I am represented by several galleries in the Southeast as well as several online galleries. I am a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society and a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America.

Questions and Answers

1.How can I buy a painting?  The most comprehensive online collection of my work can be found in my  Daily Painters.com Gallery If you don’t see a Paypal button under a painting then email me for more information. I accept Paypal or a personal check.

 2.How about commissions?  I would love to discuss your ideas for a commission. Email me and we can discuss sizes and prices.

3. Do you teach pastel classes or workshops?  I teach both group and private lessons in my Marietta Georgia home studio.  I also teach monthly workshops on a variety of topics. Please see my workshop page HERE for the current class schedule. If you would like to schedule an out of town workshop for your group please get in touch. I love to travel!

4. Do you offer online classes?  In 2013 I will be offering online private mentoring sessions. Contact me for details.

5. Do you only paint with pastels?   I love pastels and I am having too much fun to put them down to work with other mediums. I do paint occasionally in oil and acrylic but pastels are my passion!

6. Do you really paint something every day?  I do try to paint everyday. Some days I have more time in the studio so I may paint more than one. That helps make up for the days that I don’t paint.

7. Do you only paint from photos?  I have a huge collection of photos from my travels and they are a constant source of inspiration. I do enjoy plein air painting and it is this outdoor painting experience that helps me better interpret my photos.

 8.What are your favorite pastels and paper?  I love just about any pastels and have some of most brands in my collection. My favorites currently are Terry Ludwig, Great American and Diane Townsend pastels.

9.Do you you fixative on your finished paintings?  No I don’t like how most fixatives darken and dull the colors. I just give finished paintings a good ‘whack’ and don’t have a problem with pastel dust.

10. How do you ship your paintings.  I ship my work unframed and flat sandwiched in between pieces of foamcore with the painting protected by glassine paper. They always arrive at their destination in perfect shape!

Thank you for visiting my blog. I love hearing from you so please feel free to comment on a painting or email me with questions. I post new work each day so I invite you to subscribe to the blog so you don't miss an update. Click on this link if you'd like to subscribe: Subscribe to Painting My World by Karen Margulis by Email 

Karen