Location: United States
Karen Buford
www.karen-buford.pixels.com
Biography
Born and raised in Denver, CO, Karen Buford has traveled widely and lived in many states in pursuit of her artistic and educational goals. Karen has always been drawing, painting and creating since childhood! She enjoys sharing her passion for art with others and helping them find their joy through her beautiful art! Karen is an accomplished artist participating in Art exhibits both locally and nationally with her art in both public and private collections.
Karen graduated with a BA in Fine Art and eventually became an art teacher with an M.Ed. in Art Education. Karen is currently a professional fine artist and an elementary art teacher for the local school district. Karen enjoys painting portraits, landscapes, florals and inspirational artworks. She also loves to create digital art photography and mixed media artworks on paper
Artist Statement
My artwork tends towards surrealism in how I think about developing and manipulating images. The transformative nature of computer applications allows me to incorporate many surrealist ideas into my artworks. Juxtaposition of divergent ideas are expressed by utilizing lines, shapes and colors to create compelling visual imagery. Many of my photos display the dreamlike quality indicative of surrealist art
I want people to feel the magical mystery that I feel when I photograph ordinary places, people and objects. I use my artistry to capture the imagination, evoke curiosity, promote contemplation, ask questions and engage in discussions. I want to change people’s opinions and long held beliefs or ideas about art, artists and their role in society. I want people to become entranced by my artworks to help them to realize the majesty of nature, the beauty of everyday natural and man made objects. I want them to appreciate how fantastic it is to be alive during this time.
I create my artwork to express my spiritual connection to everything in the universe. I find life to be filled with love, hope and joy. I design artworks that share the indomitable spirit of these ideals. I wish to share this consciousness with others. I will continue to use my artwork to uplift and inspire others!
This portfolio represents a small portion of my digital photography. The works presented here utilize various computer programs and apps that allow for the transformation of each photograph into images that transcend time, space, and reality. The works are mostly Afro-Surrealist in nature, having many aspects of Surrealism combined with African centered subjects, ideas and cultural influences. These artworks seek to inspire, uplift and celebrate not only peoples of African descent but all people who are vibrating at a higher level of consciousness.
Digital Art Photo collage of three women sitting in the lotus position. The women seem to be either floating or immersed in the waves of the ocean background. The figures are outlined with contrasting colors and contrasting wave patterns. As the colors shift the figures appear to move and undulate across the image.
Each figure is becoming filled with blue and green light of varying degrees from right to left. The image has an overall quality of a dream that takes the viewer on a journey to inner realms of the imagination. This is a work about the exploration of creativity through deep meditation, focus and spirituality.
The blue and green light represents the heart and throat chakra energy centers of the women. This light seems to be emanating from the sky where the light of the purple crown chakra is slowly seeping into the ocean and eventually into the seated women. The progression of colors is flowing from one person to the other as the chaos of the surrounding sea is calmed within each person.
This work is representative of my personal style of digital art through the manipulation of simple photographs into complex images that have a surrealistic edge. The color palette of blues, greens and purples helps to impart a feeling of otherworldliness. This evokes a sense of mystery and magic to relatively basic imagery of three people sitting silently, apparently doing nothing. The inner activity is shown for others to see and gain understanding, and perhaps to discover their own journey of dreams and imagination!
Image of a newborn infant being cradled in the hands of its parents. Above the child’s head is the ghostly image of a transparent moon sparkling with stars. Below the child is the curvature of the earth with the sun’s light beginning to peak over the horizon. In the distance is a starburst shining upon the baby with streaks of magenta and blue lights. Surrounding the child are stars, constellations and glowing purple hearts indicating the universal love it took to create this beautiful new life.
Digital art photography of dancers at outdoor art festivals. The Dancer is leaping across the stage. The photo captured his movements during the apex of his leap. Through digital manipulation the dancer has been repeated into three dancers. He seems to be larger than the city skyline as each iteration of the figure leaps over a different section of the city. The dancers are highlighted in bright colors. The third dancer is more ghostly and seems to be either materializing or de-materializing depending on the point of view.
The daytime scene in the original photo has been transformed into deep nighttime with the application of a dark background. The buildings in the foreground are rendered as line drawings and overlap to create the illusion of density. The neon lights of Las Vegas are presented in the buildings as glowing lines. One tiny cloud has been multiplied into a rough texture in a sky of bright shining stars. The mood is one of intensity, energy and mystery. The giant proportion of the dancers to the buildings gives the sense of otherworldliness to the entire artwork.
Digital art photography of an African American woman sitting with arms and legs outstretched. Her face shows a look of deep concentration. As if she is summoning the forces of the universe. Next to her on either side are transparent depictions of her other selves. Dressed in a simple white tunic that seems to glow, each iteration of her is both translucent and opaque upon a galactic background. Multiple arms and legs intersect and cross in front of, behind and through the main figure. She seems to be as infinite as the star nebula behind her. Above the head of the left figure a brilliant sun/starburst is shining rays of yellow white light that flows in all directions. The Cosmic Queens are in the act of creating new stars, solar systems and galaxies from their very natures.
Photo of the sunset with vivid colors of clouds in the sky. The clouds seem to form a face in profile with wide fiery yellow, red, and violet clouds streaming behind. The Sky’s organic forms in rainbow color are contrasted against the straight lines and geometric forms of the black, white and gray buildings in the foreground. The Goddess seems to be blowing the clouds from her mouth across the sky showing the majesty, power and beauty of nature.
“Dreams & Imagination ”
“StarChild ”
“Sky Dancer ”
“Cosmic Queens”
“Sky Goddess ”
