May 2023 – Karen Keys and Annie O’Connell

Watercolor has been Karen Keys’ passion for the past 20 years. Ten years ago, she picked up pastels and loved them. Now she splits her time between the two and enjoys the lessons she learns from exploring both mediums.

Karen paints landscapes, florals, pet portraits, and abstracts. She likes painting plein air but usually ends up in her studio using a photo and her imagination. She feels like she grows with each painting she completes and is still exploring all the different aspects of the world on paper. Painting adds passion to her life and gives her great comfort and joy.

Annie O’Connell began painting in earnest in 2014 upon retiring from 35+ years as a practicing attorney.  She started with weekly classes at The School of Light and Color in Fair Oaks, California, and from there, I moved to the Kirk Miller Studio in Folsom, California, where I continued to study and learn. Interspersed amid this have been dozens of workshops from talented teachers throughout Northern California.

Annie loves color and animals. As a result, most of her work is of critters with eyes. I’ve found that the joy I experience painting grows exponentially whenever a furry-critter portrait is delivered to the pet’s “parents.” Annie gladly accepts commissions, and encourages people to consider giving the “gift of art” to themselves and their loved ones.