Six months and counting…
Eight months ago, I resolved to quit my day job and relocate to Europe. I have known for my entire adult life that travel was something I wished to do. I had planned to pursue it when I retired (at 60), but working from home gave me the time and the solitude I needed to re-evaluate my priorities, and so I moved that retirement date up by six years.
When I looked realistically at my pension income and monthly expenses, I realized that to have the quality of life I wanted, I would have to move…
Cadenza - Chroma and Timbre — Inspired by a composer, inspired by a painting, inspired by a musician practicing on a beautiful September afternoon.
I have a full-time day job, but that is not what I define as my work. I am an artist. Painting is not a hobby or something I do in my spare time; it is my chosen work. It does not yet pay the bills, but it gives me joy and purpose.
I would like to guide you through the evolution of my newest work, Cadenza – Chroma and Timbre.
It all started with a new pair of glasses
In late 2018, I re-launched myself as a professional artist. I also left my marriage. Both of these changes were long-overdue, and it was impossible to make the first without the second.
As I approached the age of 50, I had become aware that I did not feel good about myself. I felt physically frumpy, and invisible as an individual. I did not like it. This was not the me I used to be, nor the me I wanted to be. This sense of myself was unfamiliar and unwanted. …
Turning a trigger into a triumph
In my 20+ years of painting, I have completed a few works that I consider pivotal. They either reveal a technical or stylistic evolution in my work; or they portray a defining moment or revelation.
One such work is a self-portrait, The Mask is Behind Me, which I completed in early 2020. It is part of the series of works on the theme of healing from trauma. (At the time, I didn’t know it would be a series.)
Before I enter my studio, I always check in on my state of mind. I need…
Downsizing for my international move.
I am preparing for my move from Canada to Europe. I will be vacating my apartment to temporary lodgings on January 1 until my flight out, which I anticipate will be in March. I am very excited about the adventure ahead.
My plan is to have everything I need in a large suitcase, a carry-on backpack, and a purse. Since I will also be transporting Vincent, my cat, in a carrier, and my guitar in a case, my hands will be more than full as I travel. …
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Choosing to be a professional artist has been a great joy to me. I work every day on my art, whether that means actual studio time (the best part), searching out and creating passive income streams so I can have more studio time, sussing out appropriate exhibition and competition opportunities, or doing the bookkeeping. There are many hats that need wearing.
Just like all creatives, I have days where I get discouraged and worn out. …
You can do it too!
Over the next several months, I will be downsizing to a couple of suitcases, putting my finished paintings and portfolios in storage, and quitting my comfortable day job — setting the stage for European travel that begins in the new year with no anticipated return date. I cannot wait!
I will be writing, drawing, and painting about whatever happens next; speaking to my art-practice, travel adventures, joys, mishaps, and how my cat Vincent is doing with all this (assuming he forgives me for the long flight in cargo). …
Karen Espig
I am a contemporary figure painter, working primarily in oils. Follow my art and travel journey. karenespig.com
