04 Jul Studio Tour with Karen Santos [video]
You can see all of Karen’s paintings to scale on your own walls by using the free Open Door Gallery app available now from itunes. Android coming Fall 2016.
In a tiny Vancouver apartment over Granville Street downtown, Karen Santos is strapping on her respirator mask. While working with hot wax and oil, the fumes can be toxic. Known as encaustic painting, Karen’s methodology involves the application of layer upon meticulous layer of translucent wax, allowing the pigment of the oil paint to radiate through.
Although Karen first moved to Canada to study opera, she had grown up in her mother’s art studio, and soon began communicating her inner world through painting as well as vocal artistry. Karen has since developed a new visual vocabulary, capturing difficult emotions that words can often fail to describe.
A very special thanks goes out to Karen for her tireless work in supporting Open Door Gallery and AIDS Vancouver through the #iheartlocalart campaign. In somewhat of a family tradition, Karen’s Aunt is a prominent health expert in Mexico, and was advocate for safe sex and prevention amongst LGBTQ and sex worker communities at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the 80’s. These days, AIDS is no longer a death sentence, but many high risk groups live with this disease at or below the poverty line on the Downtown East Side of Vancouver. AIDS Vancouver is there to provide support, and operates a weekly grocery program so that nobody living with HIV should have to go hungry.
Congratulations goes out to Phil Collins from Vancouver, who has selected the painting “SURFACE TENSION” by Karen Santos.
You can see all of Karen’s paintings to scale on your own walls by using the free Open Door Gallery app available now from itunes. Android coming Fall 2016.
Congratulations goes out to Phil Collins from Vancouver, who has selected the painting “SURFACE TENSION” by Karen Santos. Phil also received an AIDS Vancouver t-shirt and a pack of art cards.
Art has the power to change lives. Open Door Gallery is a contemporary art gallery online – specializing in oil and acrylic paintings from painters in Vancouver and BC. We donate 10% of every artwork sold to AIDS Vancouver.
Local art. Now that’s smart.
Learn More about our fundraising partnership with aids vancouver
Open Door Gallery has exhibited at hotels in downtown Vancouver BC, including the Four Seasons and the Pan Pacific as part of the #iheartlocalart campaign.
Special thanks to Talentosa Productions.
