“I go toward what I’m missing in the seemingly mundane. I search for a pulse there. By investigating the rhythm of dark and light in a given moment, it begins to quake with life and I then witness forms that want to be recognized. My process of painting is constantly evolving as the path of equanimity reduces me to observe without judgement- to let the paint do the work of understanding. Nature is a cradle, and I find innocence there, even in the dark. Art finds virtue in the ordinary. I would otherwise miss these passing secrets. I am a Karen who knows that letting go of judgement is the only way to see with any clarity.”

Seattle-based artist, Karen Luke Fildes, has spent the past three decades dedicating her love, respect and awe for the natural splendor of the Pacific Northwest using oil on canvas. By the time she was fifty, she had completed 500 paintings in a series tracing the water’s path from glacier to sea and her current works explore the design of landscape into abstraction. Her works have been displayed in galleries and collections in North America and abroad. She is a recipient of the Pierce County Arts Commission’s Margaret K. Williams Award for Excellence in the Arts and she is known for her all ages parlor talks on Watershed Health. Her influences are Fumiko Kimura, Emily Carr, John Cole and Eugene Carriére.

Children are an important part of her world as she continues to consult with families for creative behavior remedies.

Karen enjoys odd requests and continues to broaden her skills by working in different mediums. She is available for commissions and collaborations of all sorts and would love to hear about your vision. Here is a video showing her process in mural painting… completed in Tacoma, WA. 2019