KARA DARRAGH – I found a freedom and spontaneity in painting that I had not experienced
My Journey
My younger self traveled much of the globe exploring life, always with an artist’s eye. As my life experiences were ever changing, so were the subjects and styles that continued to beckon and excite.
Moving through a ‘crafty’ childhood the camera eventually captured my eye. I attended photography school in BC and established a thriving fashion studio in Vancouver.
Ultimately however, the lure of the world overcame the safety of financial success, and my adventures continued. Before I left Vancouver, a friend introduced me to acrylic painting and the intoxication was immediate.
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Intuitive Abstract Painting
While living in Italy and the Caribbean, I captured images with my camera but also began a series of acrylic, monochromatic portraits. My palette became brighter after the death of my father, when my appreciation for life magnified.
I began another series of vibrant, stylized figures and flowers back home in Toronto. My love for strong colour remained, but my brushstrokes became much looser while residing some years later in Mexico. I found a freedom and spontaneity in painting that I had not experienced prior, and I painted everything from churches and women to fish and sea turtles.
After having my son and learning how to maneuver between teaching full time and being a single mom, my painting was put on hold. Now I’m back where I want to be, in the studio painting.
Spontaneity In and Out of the Studio
My artwork is organic in nature, using a process which is both spontaneous and fluid. Working in the square format allows me to play with the composition, applying layers of colour and rotating the piece as I go.
Inspiration comes from the natural world’s unequaled beauty -the intricate detailing of tree bark, the vast open skies, layers of sand and earth- it’s everywhere when we take the time to look.
In our present world, it is easy to be become distracted from our purest setting rather than united and in alignment with nature’s principles. It is my hope to evoke a positive emotional response in the viewer and that my artwork may act as a unifying force, by offering an opportunity to connect with nature’s grandeur, of which we are very much a part.