Lot 278
Karen Conduff (American, b. 1957). Meadow Under Storm Sky. Oil on board, n.d. Signed at lower right. Painted with thick, confident brushwork and a mastery of atmospheric light, this intimate landscape by Karen Conduff captures the tension between calm and turbulence in nature. A luminous field stretches toward the horizon, rendered in layered tones of ochre, sage, and green, while a deep indigo sky gathers weight above it. Conduff's distinctive impasto technique - what she calls her "juicy" paint - animates the scene with a tactile energy that draws the viewer into the living texture of the land. Conduff, a Colorado-based artist, is known for finding beauty in the ordinary - what she calls the "intimate corners of our lives." Rather than sweeping, postcard-perfect vistas, she paints the overlooked spaces: a bend in a creek, the glint of light on dry grass, the still moment before a storm. Size of painting: 11.5" W x 9.5" H (29.2 cm x 24.1 cm); of frame: 17.5" W x 15.5" H (44.4 cm x 39.4 cm)
Born in 1957, Conduff earned her BA in Art from the University of Arkansas in 1979 and has lived in Boulder, Colorado since 1980. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows, including at Macky Auditorium and Rembrandt Yard Gallery in Boulder, and in the 2023 inaugural exhibition Birds of the Rocky Mountains at the Brinton Museum, which acquired her painting Raven Pair for its permanent collection. This small but powerful painting exemplifies Conduff's belief in art as a form of connection - between painter and place, viewer and memory, the handmade and the living world.
Artist's statement: "It has been a circuitous route to becoming the artist I am today. I knew as a child that I wanted to be an artist. I drew constantly and at the age of nine my mother bought me a set of oil paints (who does that??). My father was an Air Force pilot and we moved every few years. Art was the one constant in my life. I thought I would be able to get good instruction in college, but representational painting was frowned upon in those years. My instructors believed that if they provided the paint and canvas and turned their students loose we would "discover" our own voice with no instruction at all. It was the era of Abstract Expressionism and we were supposed to paint what we felt. I wound up getting so frustrated I turned to ceramics as an outlet for my creativity. Clay was almost as good as oil paint (!) and so I spent the majority of the 1980s supporting myself by making pottery. Fortunately, I eventually found my way back to oil painting and drawing and discovered that in the meantime there had erupted a Renaissance of representational art. I studied with people who had ignored all the "-isms" of the art world and were passing along the knowledge they had learned from a long lineage of artists painting what they saw. People like Skip Whitcomb, Mark Daily, and Kevin Weckbach have helped me learn the craft and the art of representational painting and for that I will always be grateful. I hope you enjoy looking at my art. If you do, drop me a note and let me know! An artist's life can be a lonely existence and I appreciate knowing my work touches people in some way. And I hope you find a way to create something in your own life. If you think about it, it wasn't that long ago that everyone created things every day, whether it was bread to eat, quilts to stay warm, or music for the village dances. Everyone made things with their own hands. It's my belief that our lives are poorer for the loss of handmade objects and live music in our daily lives." (source: artist's website)
Provenance: private Lafayette collection, Colorado, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
SHIPPING EXCEPTIONS: Due to customs clearance issues, we are unable to ship to Germany, Switzerland and Australia. If you live in Germany, Switzerland or Australia, you will need to provide an alternate shipping destination, or we will not be able to complete your purchase. In addition, please note that we are unable to ship ancient items back to the original country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.)
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: Unless a known customer of Artemis, payment for all gold / precious metal / gem lots must be made via Bank Wire Transfer or Certified Bank Check/Money Order, no exceptions.
#198093
- Condition: Mounted in custom frame with suspension wire on verso for display. Painting and frame are both in excellent overall condition. Signed at lower right.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |