Karen Stiehl Osborn is an artist enamored of the colors and textures of Nature.  She shares her interpretation of Nature’s beauty in collage, watercolor paintings, fiber artwork, and photographs.

But she is not a studio-bound artist.  She is active with dog rescue organizations, including the Wag N Train Terrier Rescue, volunteering to shoot photos of rescued dogs so that each animal has the best chance of achieving a forever home.

Karen has also been an integral part of the Fiberart For A Cause fundraising efforts from the very beginning.  In fact, she was the first person who asked, “Could I make a postcard also?” That was over $205,000 donated to the American Cancer Society and five years ago.

Karen’s website showcases her prolific production of artwork and her blog shares her love of rescue dogs, her garden, the making of art, and more.

For this year’s big fundraiser to fight cancer on February 16, Karen is donating collages as well as working hard behind the scenes to prep all 100 collage jpegs and the event pages. Karen took a moment from her busy schedule to participate in a little Q&A:

1.  Why are you participating in the ONE fundraiser for the American Cancer Society?
Dad died in 2001 from leukemia at a fairly young age. His death changed my life in many ways. I learned that life can be shorter than I realized and that it is important to me to live a life with meaning. I quit my career as an accountant and started working in my studio all day. I also started donating to causes that are important to me, including the American Cancer Society. I have been a part of FFAC since the beginning, and it means a lot to me to continue to support Virginia’s fundraising efforts, as a tribute to Dad and as a way to add meaning to my life.

Soul by Karen Stiehl Osborn.  This artwork will be available during the ONE fundraiser on February 16.

2.  Tell us about your collages for ONE.
These collages are a new series titled “ME Words”. I started by making a list of words that are important to me as an artist. I included some words that have a deeper meaning, and some that are a little more practical, like “collage”. I scanned the dictionary page with the word on it, circled it in black, and glued it down as the first layer of the collage. Then I added layers of hand painted Chinese papers, more layers of paint, more layers of papers — until I was happy with the color combinations and layout of each collage. Coincidentally, these are my favorite colors — earth tones and jewel tones.

3.  What are you working on in the studio now?
Photography, watercolor, and collage. I have a series of photographs that I took on a recent art retreat, and I am working with these photos and some watercolor paintings that I did from the photos. I am hoping to incorporate the photos, the watercolor paintings, and painted papers and cloth into a new series about the natural beauty of that special place.

4.  What has been the biggest surprise of your art career so far?
That others appreciate my art (and even buy it!). I have always created for myself, so it is very gratifying when people email me to let me know that they love different pieces that I have created. Even when I switch gears in the studio, my followers continue on with me. It is a fabulous life!

Winter into Spring #4 (6×4″) by Karen Stiehl Osborn

5.  Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere! I am inspired by nature, but I take that inspiration and create abstractly from it. I am rarely without my camera, so I take tons of photos of nature and the world around me. My art almost always evolves from something I have seen or something I have experienced. It is very personal, although the viewer may not always realize that. Most of the time, it is very subtle, and I like that because it allows the viewer to bring their own experiences to the piece.

6.  Do you collect art?  If so, how do you know a piece is right for your collection?
I do collect art from other artists. It gives me a good feeling to support other artists, and I enjoy living in a home where art surrounds me. I buy art that speaks to me. It is an immediate feeling that I get when I see the piece, and if it doesn’t go away, I know it is an artwork that is right for me. I try to collect art that is outside of the mediums that I use, but that is not a definite rule as I own many collages from other artists.

7.  What would you do with a year free to do what you wanted with no responsibilities or financial concerns?
This is an easy one! I would pack up my camera and art supplies, and I would travel. I would photograph and paint all day every day until the year was over. And then I would wish for another year just like that one!

BJ Parady, one of the invited artists for the ONE fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, often works the same veins of inspiration as I do as we are both Midwesterners intrigued by and enamored of the natural world.  But she brings to her artwork a special discerning eye as a trained botanist. Her artwork is always thoughtful, textural, and evocative.

1.  Tell us about your collages for ONE.

Still Waters 2. Read more about this artwork for ONE on BJ’s blog.

I’ve been playing with the process of disperse transfer dyeing. A byproduct of this technique is these deeply saturated painted papers, which I used to form the bottom layers of these pieces. Most of my art is inspired by the biome in which I live–the Midwestern prairie and the rivers that run through it. Once these papers were fastened to the substrate, they just looked like I was looking down into the bottom of shallow water, and I went with that. Some parts indicate reflections; others objects either floating on the surface or hanging in the water.

2.  What are you working on in the studio now?
The last few months I’ve been working on developing new skills–screen printing, snow dyeing, using hand stitching to enhance texture. Now I’m starting to put that all together to produce abstract work that reflects the Midwest. That, and trying to figure out how to commemorate the upcoming lunar eclipse/winter solstice.

Winter Solstice, 32″h x 18″w

3.  Where do you find inspiration?
My college degree is in botany, and that part of the natural world continues to inform the basis of most of my work. The oak woodlands, tall grass prairie, scenic waterways, and the sky itself can be seen in even my most abstract works.

4. What advice do you have for new art collectors/new Patrons of ONE?
Buy what you like, that piece you keep coming back to look at, and worry about where to hang it later–don’t try to match your sofa. In fact, buy a neutral sofa and let the art inspire the color scheme.

5.  What advice do you have for artists who are seeking their unique voice or direction in their own artwork?
Make more art. Make more art. Make more art.

Remember my humbling experience with making an art bra?  That bra and seven others were on display at the Relay for Life cancer fundraiser for which my sister is chair this past weekend.  Viewers could vote for their favorite art bra.  All the bras used the theme of  ”Celebrating Women.”  The winner was made by an eleven year-old girl and collected over $200 in donations for the ACS.

This bra was entered by Team Visor captained by Emily Ziemer.  It was created by Noelle Maki Rollins, a very talented artist.  The bras weren’t for sale, but Noelle agreed to part with her artwork for a donation to the ACS.  The title of the artwork is We’re All Pink and features portraits of Sheryl Crow and Carly Simon.  I couldn’t resist this artwork after reading the artist’s statement:

Cheryl Crow and Carly Simon are both breast cancer survivors.  Like the music they create to touch the souls of those listening, we all share an ability to touch others.  Some of our greatest gifts are being able to connect, to share and gain strength from each other.  With one another we have the ability to create a pure, tangible, contagious energy.  We all hold a common bond; we’re all connected.  Just like the symbloci ribbon we all stand behind; inside we’re all heart and all pink.

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Niece Jenny, me, Chairperson and Sister Nancy, Mom  (Sharing our energy to stay up 30 hours and raise funds to beat cancer)

The Relay was a huge success with your generous donations to the Tote Tuesday fundraiser for my Fiberart For A Cause adding significantly to the success.  Thank you for your wonderful support.  My family “Relays” in honor of my Dad, Bob Spiegel, a sixteen-year survivor of colon cancer.

Artful Home ’s Hearts For Anna opens online this Wednesday, August 12, and continues through August  16.

All funds raised will go to Anna Millea an artist who is fighting breast cancer – again. Anna has been denied insurance, having been deemed uninsurable due to her “pre-existing condition.”

Annette Rogers

Gerrie Congdon

Shoulder Bag by Laura Osbun

Faith, Strength, and Love by Barbara Strobel Lardon

More about my donated artwork here; all the donated artwork to date is here.

I received the following from Lisa Bayles, CEO of The Guild/Artful Home.  It’s easy for us to help (and way too easy for any of us to be in the same situation).  So please take a moment and read through the Call.  It’s for miniature artwork, so there is plenty of time to donate artwork before the August 7 deadline.  And, of course, you have another opportunity to participate during the Reverse Auction on August 12 -16.

Cancer. No Insurance. Can this really be happening to one of our artists?
Anna Millea, a longtime Guild and Artful Home artist, is fighting breast cancer – again. The disease has returned aggressively and is now in her bones, requiring an extreme sixteen rounds of chemotherapy. She has no insurance, having been deemed uninsurable due to her “pre-existing condition.”

When we at The Guild/Artful Home learned of this we knew we needed to do something to try to help her through this situation. What we have come up with is an event we are calling “Hearts for Anna“, to which we hope you will contribute and donate a little bit of your time and talent.

Artful Home will hold a 5-day online event, “Hearts for Anna“, August 12-16, 2009 in which miniature artworks, no larger than 5″ x 7″, will be sold. The items will be sold first-come, first serve, with all items selling for $100 on Day 1, $75 on Days 2 – 4, and $50 on Day 5. All money will go to a fund that goes directly to Anna Millea to help pay for her medical bills.

Requirements for donated artwork: (Deadline: August 7)

1. Participation is open to all artists, both Artful Home members and non-members. The point is to get great participation, and thus give a greater hand to Anna.
2. The artwork can be in any medium, no larger than 5″ x 7″. Artists in all media are encouraged to participate and donate works.
3. The artwork should be one of a kind, though each artist participating can submit more than one piece.
4. All work should fall within the theme of “Hearts for Anna”, however the artist chooses to interpret this.
5. Download and fill out the submission form here.
6. Submission form and photograph must be submitted by August 7.  [See the submission form for further details.]
   
   Getting out the Word:

Artful Home will be soliciting donated work from artists around the US and Canada.

1. We are hoping you can help spread the word to other artists as well as potential purchasers by posting the information on any forums, blogs, Facebook pages, Tweets in which you participate. Call and email your friends. Write a letter. However you choose to spread the word will be helpful.
2. Artful Home will then be promoting the actual August event through press releases, Tweets, blogs, emails – the full court press. Again, we will ask you to pass along this information to any individuals or groups, artists and buyers, that you know who you can help support the event.
3. The more people who come to the site and purchase these miniatures, the more money is raised for Anna.