Radical Impressionist: A Mathematician Paints

The canyons of Ghost Ranch and Chama River are an hour’s drive from my Santa Fe home and I try to go there to paint as often as possible. This was the home of Georgia O’Keeffe. Sometimes I try to channel her style but more often I tend to want to use more color and also to use a Palette Knife (or knives).  I like the feel of working with a knife and you can judge for yourself but the results are often better for me. So, I have done a series of canyon color paintings recently primarily using palette knife. This is of the first large ones (18x24). I actually took some liberty with a nearby ‘canyon’, Diablo Canyon, just up the road from me. Its rock formation consists of tones of grey rather than the colors of the Ghost Ranch area. But I enhanced the color to reflect the early light of dawn to arrive at this: Diablo Canyon, Morning Glow, 18x24, oil. This sold at the Marigold Arts Gallery in Santa Fe. I then continued with he theme, but this time in my chosen venue of Chama Ri

Defining moments: January 2018: Realized that I needed to return to my second love, Mathematics to explore the connections between it and the passion of the past two decades: art and painting. Adapted the 'brand':  Radical Impressionist: A Mathematician Paints.  Planning exhibitions. May 2016.  Return to the Rivers , exhibition at the Marigold Arts Gallery.  My son Joshua met a world renowned author and chef, Vikas , at a major political event.  One of his books is titled “Return to the River”. While reading the book into the middle of the night I realized that I have always been drawn to rivers (and oceans).  I was very moved by Khanna’s activities, supporting women and children throughout the world. He has raised himself up from poverty to become beloved by the Dalai Lama, Obama, Hillary Clinton and now my son and by millions watching him on his cooking programs. Khanna also donates dinners to women’s shelters. Meeting him has opened up a new world for Joshua. I hope to

Curriculum vitae: 2016 – current. Marigold Arts Gallery, Canyon Road, Santa Fe. 2010-2018. Purple Sage Gallery, Oldtown, Albuquerque. 2005-current. Moved to Santa Fe from Woodstock to study with oil painting masters, Roger Williams, Doug Higgins, Bill Gallen and Albert Handell (and others). Volunteer Website Administrator for the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. Continued to participate in juried exhibitions.  Frequently take painting trips to places such as the Grand Canyon, Hawaii and the Tetons. But I concentrate on painting trips to Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu and to Taos as well as  day trips around the environs of Santa Fe. 2003-2005. Studied with master oil painter, Keith Gunderson. Woodstock, NY. 2003. Retired and Moved full-time to Woodstock, NY. 2002-2005. Studied with watercolorist, Betsy Jacaruso, Woodstock, NY. December 2001. Began serious training to become an artist. 2001 – 2003. SIAC/NYSE Vice President in charge of Trading Engines, managing over 100 peopl

Selected Exhibitions – Karen Halbert August 2020. Taos Plein Air, Honorable Mention for Blowin in the Wind, Wilder Nightingale Gallery, Taos, NM. Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. November 2018. 10th National National Juried Members Show, Sorrel Sky Gallery. Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, Santa Fe. June 2018. Santa Fe Plein Aire Fiesta, Juried Paintout and Exhibition. Sorrel Sky Gallery, Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, Santa Fe. November 2017. 9th National National Juried Members Show, Sorrel Sky Gallery. Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, Santa Fe. November 2016. 8th National National Juried Members Show, Sorrel Sky Gallery. Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, Santa Fe. September 2016. Mary Williams Fine Arts Gallery, Juried Exhibition, Plein Air Painters of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado.  Award of Merit  for "Santa Fe River Turbulence", 10x16, oil. May 2016. Marigold Arts Gallery,  Return to the Rivers , Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM. December 2015 –

Karen at the Marigold Arts Exhibition:  Return to the Rivers Karen Halbert is a full time landscape painter, primarily of the Southwest. She was torn away from careers in mathematics and computers to follow her life-long passion: painting. Though she paints in the Southwest, she also captures the images that permeate her dreams – of the powerful ocean waves of the Pacific, home of her childhood.  Driven by the purity of elements of mathematics, found in areas such as dynamic symmetry and chaos theory, she strives to go far beyond her analytical training. The logic of composition and pattern is second nature to Halbert; she is free to experiment with other aspects that help her capture the underlying beauty of the natural world. Her training in the Classical techniques as well as Impressionism serve her well. She can concentrate on capturing the beauty of the landscape surrounding her. Driven by the light of the southwest, Halbert made a conscious life-style decision to move t

Plein Air Artists of Colorado Featured Artist Article of October 2015: PAAC Article – Karen Halbert Short Bio:  Karen strives to transform the beauty of mathematics into her art, utilizing her knowledge of areas such as dynamic symmetry, fractals and chaos theory. The “hidden harmony” of Karen's work is shown in her cloud fractals, wave patterns and stream flows as well as cliff striations and tessellations. Karen grew up in the West, but moved East as an adult to attend college and pursue a career as a college professor of mathematics and computer science, and later as a Wall Street executive. She eventually settled in Woodstock, New York to fulfill her life-long dream of being an artist, but ultimately was drawn back West to the artist-rich town of Santa Fe. Karen continues to use her computer skills as a volunteer Website Administrator for the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. When did you first become interested in art? As a child, I loved