Local artist gains national recognition
Hot Springs artist Carole Katchen is featured in several national magazines this fall, and one of her paintings was recently included in the national juried exhibit of the Arkansas Pastel Society.
The magazines showing her work are Vanity Fair, International Artist, and Pastel Journal.
The APS exhibit includes paintings selected from 12 states. Katchen’s painting depicts flowers planted by the Master Gardeners at the Hot Springs Farmers & Artisans Market. The show is on display at the Butler Center, 401 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, until Dec. 24.
“It’s a wonderful selection of pastel paintings and I feel honored to be included,” Katchen said in a news release.
The September issue of Vanity Fair includes a feature about an upscale restaurant in Bedford, N.Y. A photo shows the owner standing in front of one of Katchen’s images depicting a waiter sniffing a glass of wine. “This was a total surprise,” Katchen said. “As an artist you are always working alone in your studio and it’s nice when someone out there notices your work.”
The August Pastel Journal included an article written by Katchen about a new technique of pastel painting she has recently developed. She rips up sheets of pastel paper, glues them down and paints over the top. Over four pages of the national magazine, Katchen describes her painting process and shows several examples. “After painting with pastels for so many years — more than 50 now — I am constantly looking for ways to make my art more interesting and more challenging.”
The most recent publicity is a full page in the December/January International Artist Magazine that Katchen won by entering its Abstract Art competition. Her work is the fourth piece chosen in this contest from entries throughout the world. The painting “Floral Adventure” was purchased by Arkansas Colleges of Health Education in Fort Smith last spring.
Katchen has lived in Hot Springs for 23 years. In addition to showing her art at Legacy Gallery, her paintings have been featured in galleries and museums throughout the United States and in Asia and South America. She also wrote 14 art instruction books for national publishers, translated into French, German, Dutch and Chinese. Katchen has a large studio on West Grand Avenue where she paints and teaches art.
Email ckatchen@earthlink.net or call 627-4494 for more information.