Karen Halbert: Artist/Mathematician. Defining Moments.
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 record part of this world in my art. Hence the title of my new exhibit at the Marigold Arts Gallery.
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 record part of this world in my art. Hence the title of my new exhibit at the Marigold Arts Gallery.
February 2016. While teaching an oil painting class, I found that digging deeper into the techniques of painting and the theory helped me better understand what makes a great painting. I have tried to utilize my findings in my new works.
October 2005. Moved to Santa Fe to return to my western roots and to paint the wondrous New Mexico light and landscape.
October 2003. Retired early so that I could dedicate myself to a new career painting full-time. Moved from Manhattan to our summer home in Woodstock, NY to be surrounded by the beauty of the landscape in another artist-rich community. I was especially inspired by scenes of the Hudson River and the painters of the Hudson River School legacy.
October 2001. Attended an executive program in San Diego, flying there in spite of security concerns. A question asked was: what did I do besides work. This made me consider my life. It was then that I reminded myself how much art meant ot me when I was younger and how much I ued it for examples in my Mathematics’ classes. I also realized that an important part of my career involved the presentation of data. I began to teach myself watercolor.
September 11, 2001. At the NYSE I managed the turnover of the software systems to support the opening of the NYSE on Monday, September 17. Then we implemented the system to be highly compliant with Security measures. This was a life-changing period.
1982. Changed from the academic world to the corporate world, transitioning through a start-up company.
1973-82: Professor Mathematics and Computer Science at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale, NY.
1968-73: Graduate school in Mathematics at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, NYU.
1966-68: Peace Corps in Peru as Profesora de las Mathematicas at La Escuela Normal Marianista.
1964-66: Computer programmer at Columbia University.
1960-64. College at NYU. Chose a major in Mathematics over Art as more practical, though both fields are passions. I took many art courses (and religion and philosophy) as well as the requisite mathematics and physics courses.
1973. Only child, Joshua, born. He attended excellent schools (Fieldston in Riverdale, NY and Carnegie Mellon), studied to be an architect and is an executive for a large Manhattan architectural firm designing and promoting web-based systems; he’s become a computer ‘nerd’ like his mom while his mom became an art ‘nerd’. Josh designed my website, www.karenhalbert.com, so that I can update it as needed (often). We are working jointly on a project to upgrade the website to a state-of-the art implementation. I enjoy visiting him and his young family, now in San Diego, frequently, tying the visits into California coast painting trips.
1966. Joined the Peace Corps, leaving a corporate job in computers. Teaching there transformed what I wanted to do. I decided to continue in graduate studies afterwards so that I could teach Mathematics at the undergraduate level.
1955. Moved to Honolulu from Seattle. I became totally immersed in the Hawaiian culture, while working within an academic challenging environment; the high school I attended was the last ‘english standard’ class in Honolulu. To get into the school required a test. Even today I enjoy returning to one of my second ‘homes’ to paint and absorb the beautiful landscape. My high school friends opened my eyes to a world in which prejudice exists; I vowed to spend my life working to help correct this and to trying to find beauty around us and peace.
Early childhood. The excellent junior high school I attended in Seattle opened up the world for me, showing me that I could escape a life of poverty and pursue any dreams I might have. Even today I enjoy returning to my childhood home to visit my close relatives and to view the beautiful scenery and to contemplate painting it (as I did with watercolors ten years ago).
