Karen Mortensen

Erica's Phoenix

2010-08-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

This sculpture is a hammered copper phoenix commissioned by Erica Johnson in Hawaii, to adorn her newly constructed shoji gate entrance.

Contemplation

2010-08-24T13:28:00.001-07:00

Suli ate rat poison and disappeared. I cried and cried and cried and tried to resign myself to him having died a slow and painful death. Three months later as I was getting out of bed in the dim predawn, there he was looking at me. I painted this 6 foot tall pastel painting as a celebration for his miraculous return. Personally I think this super-friendly cat had been abducted and incarcerated in a house because he loves his garden and would never leave. Since he won't tell me his story, it shall remain a mystery and I'm thrilled to have him back and in good health.

Lake Elsinore Vacation

2010-08-24T13:15:00.001-07:00

I had the most wonderful vacation all June with my darling daughter, Assia and her lovely husband Jeff, new dog Prez and cat Ella. This is a small painting I did of the view from their house in Lake Elsinore. Prez is a puppy expected to be a medium size dog, who turned into a horse nicely filling out the lounge chair on the patio.

Plooki's Lakeview

2010-04-25T11:46:00.001-07:00

Since I have not seen my sweetest Plooki ( Assia, my daughter ) for some years now, I painted this painting so I could almost have her in person, at least life-size on my wall until I visit her and her darling husband Jeff , new dog Prez and their wonderful new home with a lakeview this summer.

Lovesong Falls

2010-04-25T11:37:00.001-07:00

This is a painting of one of my beloved backyard waterfalls I named 'Lovesong Falls'. I call my place Lakelovesong because at night my toads in the ponds I built sit and hug each other and sing lovesongs to lull me to sleep. I have three waterfalls: Lovesong Falls, Spirit Falls and Fish Falls.

Love's Embrace-Dog

2010-04-09T14:33:00.001-07:00

This acrylic painting was inspired by a neighbor with a very loving dog who knows how to give really good hugs.

Aspects of Self

2010-04-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

A collage with pastel and printer.

Flow

2010-04-09T14:26:00.001-07:00

A collage with pastel for a show at Junglelove gallery and gift shop in my neighborhood themed for our current active volcano.

Emily-Power Pain and Passion

2010-04-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

This was my larger than life size sculpture accepted into the prestigious statewide Schaefer Portrait Challenge competition given by the Maui Arts and Cultural Center every 3 years. It was in the top 5 for the people's choice award and this time the entire show traveled to the Honolulu Contemporary Museum of Art for the whole summer 2009. The sculpture also won an award when I showed it at the East Hawaii Cultural Center Spring Festival show on the Big Island in 2010 currently on exhibit.

Talking Points

2010-04-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

'Talking Points' is a mixed medium triptych. One a pigmented bronze mesh, the middle a collage with pastel and the third a soft pastel. It depicts Emile Naeole Beason, the council person for my district making her point at a council meeting. She is a strong Hawaiian woman very controversial and constantly in the news. It garnered a people's choice award from a show at the East Hawaii Cultural Center.

Tigermobile

2010-04-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

This is my car with Namaste our white tiger in our little Big Island rainforest zoo. I wanted to honor him and have a 'tiger in my tank' so to speak. I plan to paint more animals on my car when the spirit moves me. For this I used special enamel pin-striping car paint as if my car was a canvas.

Eternal Glamorpuss

2010-04-09T11:42:00.001-07:00

On the occasion of my friend Sara-Mae's 104th birthday celebration, I painted her in her bubblebath. Ever the spry and glamorous centenarian she even cut the rug at her party with an admirer. It was a celebration to remember, a true 'Prairie Home Companion', complete with hula and tap dancing children and adults, singers and musicians and poem reading. With cameras, cake and ice-cream in abundance, all had a great time. Garrison Keeler would have been proud. Fellow artist, Ken Sharon, drew her while at the party, sitting there looking like an Egyptian queen.

Suli is Missing

2010-04-09T11:26:00.001-07:00

The most tragic event for me in a very long time. My beloved cat Suli went missing. There is now a giant hole in my life where this special cat used to reside. I have been crying every day for weeks. The loss of this loved one cuts very deep indeed for me.

Pujiji

2010-04-09T11:20:00.001-07:00

A soft pastel sketch of Pujiji, my big orange cat lazing it beside me in my bed..

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Evening Thoughts

2010-04-09T11:16:00.001-07:00

A rare self portrait expressed in soft pastel showing the true passing into geezerhood and contemplating mortality.

Pele-Fire and Smoke

2010-04-09T11:10:00.001-07:00

Large Pele sculpture, Hawaiian volcano goddess, inspired by the giant steam plume produced when lava flows into the ocean. Here Pele is depicted dancing in the smoke and steam. The sculpture is of pigmented bronze mesh.

My Front Gate

2010-04-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

This is my newly painted front gate to my home and studio. It is made of stippled, hammered, then pigmented aluminum attached to a farm gate.

War and Peace details

2009-04-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

Details of inside images of this sculpture

War and Peace 2009

2009-04-06T16:42:00.001-07:00

2-sided pigmented bronze mesh sculpture with soft pastel inside

Solitary Sentinel 2008

2009-03-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

Mixed media: Pigmented bronze mesh, wood, hemp and rocks.

Twisted Anguish 2008

2009-03-02T19:13:00.001-08:00

Mixed media, pigmented bronze mesh with plastic

Aspects of Self 2008

2009-03-02T19:09:00.001-08:00

Mixed media on canvas.

Gate Mural for Jan and Andy 2008

2009-03-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

Gate mural in Puna area, Big Island Hawaii

Medium: Pigmented aluminum.

Emily-Power, Pain and Passion

2009-03-02T15:39:00.001-08:00

Schaefer Portrait Challenge 2009 at Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Hawaii

Sculpture medium: Pigmented bronze mesh with pastel inside.

Karen Mortensen

2009-02-25T12:52:00.001-08:00

Karen Mortensen

2009-02-25T12:47:00.000-08:00