ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Artwork Network’s newest exhibition, Flourish, features the work of Denver artists and friends, Karen Roehl and Sarah van Beckum. The bright color palette, gestural brush strokes, and the obvious harmony between the two artists work creates an instant appeal.
Both Roehl and van Beckum create abstract works with layers and mark making. “A process that requires a lot of letting go and starting new,” describes Roehl. “Many times a painting will be in what I would consider to be a finished state when I force myself to paint over it, almost entirely, section by section… I trust that the thing I created that I feel is beautiful is not simply an accident or a one shot deal. In other words, I trust that it is within my power to create something beautiful, subjective as that might be, again and again, and in so doing discover its infinite forms.”
Roehl, originally from Montreal, has lived in the Mile High city for most of her life. She is active in the arts community of Denver, including a faculty position at the Art Students’ League. She met Sarah van Beckum through a mutual friend, and they were fast friends.
Like Roehl, Sarah van Beckum also describes an instinctual process. “The first stroke of paint goes on the canvas with a flourish and at that point I have made a mark to which I must respond. Every line, brushstroke or mark-making gesture serves to inform my next move. I like the surface to be built up and multi-layered, so the early stages of painting are random and carefree. This creates richness and complexity. As I move through the work I hone in on areas that excite me and let those parts become standout features of the painting. My work grows to completion organically, without preconceived ideas about the look of the finished piece. The painting is finished when the colors sing and the composition piques my interest.”
Van Beckum, a native of Wisconsin, has lived in Denver for many years as an artist, and like Roehl, is actively involved in the arts community. Drawing from nature’s forms ingrained from the countryside of her youth, van Beckum says that painting is her search for meaning.
Flourish will be on exhibit at the Artwork Network Gallery from August 4 through October 2, 2017. For more information, contact Artwork Network Gallery at 303.388.7420. The gallery is located at 878 Santa Fe Drive in Denver, and is open Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm, and Saturday 12 – 4pm, with special hours for First & Third Friday Artwalks.