The Corner Gallery front windows will debut a collection of largely new work by artist Karin Klein, in her first-ever show in California. An accomplished acrylic and mixed media artist who spent most of her life in the Midwest, Karin is a recent transplant to Mendocino County. 

 

"I have done a few art shows in Kansas," Karin says, "but up until now I haven't had time to put many shows together. I got back-to-back degrees and have been busy working as a trauma nurse. I'm also a mom, and I live with multiple people... parents, husband, and young daughter... so there is constantly a lot going on."

 

Karin has found that she has a bit more time for herself as a result of her new rural lifestyle, so she is newly able to focus on her painting. "I really enjoy painting," she explains. "It puts me in a very contemplative place.  I find it restorative to remove myself from all the action around me and find a place of quiet. In that space I commune with Jesus, which is very important to me. I find that my painting is a form of prayer."

 

Painting is also a process of healing for Karin, who faced a series of challenging mental health issues after high school. Because of the fact that her work is inseparable from her healing process, Karin has entitled her show 'Healing.' 

 

Each of Karin's paintings is deeply personal. She explains, "My process always feels 'experimental' and deeply spiritual. I feel as if God has opened my eyes to the color and the style of art that I now pursue, and I often sense that my pieces are 'uncovered' as I paint." The luminous and lyrical quality of her abstracted landscapes attest to that inner conviction.

 

Karin is still creating pieces for her show, even as the December holidays occupy much of her time and energy. "I'll probably be working right up to the last minute," she laughs. I'm working on a large diptych as we speak, and I really want to include more art that hasn't ever been seen before."

 

Karin has also always had a love for words, and many of her pieces are accompanied by her poetry with insights into the thoughts or concepts she processed as she painted them.