Karen Tichy
Biography
Karen Tichy is a mixed media artist known for her abstract paper line paintings. Evident in her work is a graphic design background. After receiving a MS in visual communication from the Institute of Design in Chicago, she worked as an interface designer in Boston. There she began painting and exploring a variety of media. After returning to Chicago in 2008, she established a studio/gallery in the Fine Arts Building. She has been incorporating encaustic in her work since 2009. Her work as been exhibited in Boston, the Midwest, and arctic Norway where she now resides part time.
Artist Statement
Exploring materials and techniques has been a driving interest throughout my art career. Though I began as a traditional artist applying paint to flat surfaces, I soon developed a unique process of weaving my own deconstructed paintings into textural dimensional constructions. Since discovering encaustic, I utilize encaustic medium’s translucent and adhesive qualities to layer paper lines or other shapes to achieve a sense of depth and motion. My process rarely involves a preconceived message or concept. Piece by piece and layer by layer, an idea, a memory or a feeling develops in my mind and a visual representation of it results.