THE ARTISTS RETREAT

HOMEWOOD HILL
ART GALLERY

Artist in Residence.
Homewood Hill gallery features paintings and art classes
by artist
Karen James.
Karen @ work

Born in Australia in 1966, Karen James grew up in & around Sydney, from 1980 she lived in the Hawkesbury area, on Sydney's outskirts. Throughout childhood she enjoyed taking photographs & drawing - a passion which has been nurtured in her adult life by studying painting, drawing & photography, with many different tutors, mainly artist Marjorie Prophet, & at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney, with Francis Giacco & Jocelyn Maughan.
She worked during this time in the art department of a large printing company for 15 years, leaving in mid 1997 to prepare for her first exhibition "Drawn from Life", an exhibition of life drawing with fellow Hawkesbury artist & friend, Jennifer Lloyd.
Shortly after this, in September 1997, Karen travelled extensively throughout the U.K. & Europe with husband Bob, then in January 1998 they embarked on a 6-month period of volunteer teaching in Kenya, living with the local people in rural western Kenya, returning to Australia in September 1998. The time spent in Africa led to an exhibition in March 1999 - "A Journey through Kenya".
In January 2000, Karen & Bob moved to live in the South Island of New Zealand, in the picturesque seaside town of Kaikoura, where they built Homewood Hill Gallery which opened in July of that year to exhibit her work.
In the studio she paints & teaches weekly art classes to adults & children, & weekend workshops throughout the year.


'art classes'


Karen has won numerous awards in Australia before moving to N.Z. in 2000.
Since residing here:
2004 - Finalist - Adam Portraiture Award in Wellington.
2004 - Award for a Marlborough artist - Peters Doig Art Award.
2004 - Highly Commended - Waimate Art Award.
2006 - Finalist - Adam Portraiture Award in Wellington.
2006 - Solo exhibition in Christchurch at the Arts Centre. The exhibition titled "Moments" featured charcoal & pastel drawings of scenes from everyday life.
2007 - Best Portrait Award - Southern Pastel Artist Exhibition, Invercargill.

Karen works in oils, pastels and acrylics which are available for sale from the gallery.Gallery window

  • Land and sea-scapes
  • Animal and human portraits
  • Still life and figure drawings
  • Art tuition packages available
  • Regular weekly art classes
  • Workshops during the year,
  • Commissions Welcomed.

    Contact Karen for further details

    Visit Karen's site
    Inside gallery
    THE GALLERY
    Homewood Hill Gallery
    Inside gallery

 


Male nude at rest
46 x 61cm
Commissioned family portrait
70 x 70cm

 


Sunflowers & red chair.....61cm x 46cm

 


"Roost with a view" (acrylic)
118 x 84cm


"Kaikoura's Beauty from South Bay" - (acrylic diptych)
60 x 120cm

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