10 Questions with Karen K. Wallen
Karen K. Wallen is an Abstract Expressionist painter who works with acrylics and mixed media out of her home studio in Los Angeles. She’s been making art since early childhood, but her love for it really deepened in high school back in Arlington, Virginia, where she spent hours wandering through the museums in Washington, D.C. Later, she studied at Penn State University’s School of Art and Education, then went on to teach art in Los Angeles, Seoul, Taegu, and Seattle.
Her work has shown up in quite a few places, including Make.Shift Art Space, Msanii House Fine Art Studios, Arteom Gallery, The Holy Art Exhibition, Gallery 4%, and Las Laguna Art Gallery. She’s also been interviewed by the Visual Art Journal, which was a real treat.
Over the years, Karen has sold hundreds of paintings, everything from portraits and landscapes to murals. And every October, she hosts an annual art party that’s now in its 17th year. It’s a simple, happy gathering: wine, chocolate, cheese, and people who love art, all coming together in her studio.
artworkarchive.com/profile/karenkwallenart | @karenkwallenart
Karen K. Wallen - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
Karen K. Wallen paints the colorful hues of relationships, friends, lovers, and the winding paths they walk together. In her home studio, she works with acrylics and mixed media, layering emotion and memory onto canvas and paper. Donning blue non-latex gloves, she spreads out floor coverings and pours out a multitude of hues, letting abstraction speak where words cannot.
Her focus is Abstract Expressionism: spontaneous, physical, and deeply felt. Each piece records movement and mood, built from instinct rather than plan. Whether she’s painting a mural, a portrait, or an explosive abstract, she chases the same thing, the moment when paint becomes feeling.
Over the years, she has sold several hundred paintings. Yet her truest reward remains the act of creating itself: transforming color into connection.
Girl with Flowers, Acrylic on Canvas, 22x28 in, 2025 © Karen K. Wallen
INTERVIEW
Can you tell us a little about your background and how your journey as an artist began?
I was born in Oklahoma, and I’m the oldest of five children. From the time I was old enough to hold a crayon, I was making pictures: drawing my family, the animals around us, anything that caught my eye. Art wasn't something I chose; it chose me.
When did you first discover your passion for painting?
Very early! My world revolved around crayons and watercolors before most kids my age could even spell the words. There was something magical about putting color on a surface and watching something come to life. That feeling never left me.
Always on the Run © Karen K. Wallen
Were there any particular artists, museums, or experiences that influenced you early on?
When I was nine, my family moved to the Washington D.C. area, and that changed everything. I grew up completely captivated by the Smithsonian, the Natural History Museum, and the Museum of Art, wandering those halls fed something deep in me. Being surrounded by masterworks at such a young age made creating feel not just possible, but necessary.
What drew you to Abstract Expressionism and abstract painting in particular?
As an art student, I fell hard for the Impressionist movement, the way emotion could live in a brushstroke rather than a perfectly rendered figure. Abstract painting gave me freedom. It let me express what feels true rather than what simply looks true.
Your work often explores relationships and emotions. Why are these themes important to you?
Relationships and emotions clutch at my heart and my paintbrush with an almost feverish urgency. They are the architecture of human life. When I pick up a brush, I'm not thinking about technique first; I'm thinking about connection, about the invisible threads between people. Those feelings find their way onto the canvas whether I plan them or not.
Jumpin Jivin, Acrylic on Wood, 11x14 in, 2025 © Karen K. Wallen
Fly Bye, Acrylic on Canvas, 16x20 in, 2025 © Karen K. Wallen
Can you describe your creative process when starting a new painting?
I begin with pure instinct, splashing color across several canvases at once, swirling and layering, then letting them rest overnight. The next morning is where the magic happens: I study what dried, and images begin to emerge from the lines and colors, people, relationships, moments. It's almost like the painting already knew what it wanted to be, and I'm just helping it arrive.
How do color and movement help you express emotions in your work?
In the midst of the paints and colors, the movement and lines that I form begin to evolve into love, fun and the emotional challenges and connections in Life.
You've worked on portraits, murals, and abstract paintings. How does your approach change between these different forms?
The biggest shift is scale, and scale changes everything. In portraits, I still begin with splashes of color, but then I bring in line work to define the individual, to capture the particular energy of that person. With murals, I step back, literally, and let the gestures grow bolder. I'll sling paint in sweeping arcs and patterns, and the images emerge on a grander, more theatrical level. The spirit is the same; the conversation just gets louder.
Fiery Sky, Acrylic on Canvas, 30x40 in, 2025 © Karen K. Wallen
What do you hope viewers feel when they look at your paintings?
I hope they feel seen. My work is rooted in honest, mostly joyful emotion, and I want viewers to pause in front of a piece and feel a quiet recognition, a connection to the characters and relationships they find there. If someone walks away carrying a little more tenderness than they arrived with, I've done my job.
Are there any upcoming projects or ideas you're excited to explore?
Absolutely! My greatest inspiration comes from being out in the world, traveling, meeting people, and discovering new communities and cultures. I'm looking forward to letting those experiences pour into new work in ways I can't yet predict. The most exciting ideas are always the ones still waiting for me just around the next corner.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mr. Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9 Contemporary, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.
