Congratulations to Karen Turner for earning her place a Winner in the Boynes Monthly Art Award [May Edition]!

Who are you?

I was born in London in 1978 and spent some of my childhood there followed by Geneva in Switzerland. As a teenager I returned to the UK to take my A-levels, at Hampstead Fine Arts College in London. Following college though I went straight into a normal job, and other than dabbling every now and then I didn’t return to art for over 20 years.

It was only when the pandemic hit that everything changed – although I was still working from home full-time, I suddenly had evenings and weekends free and so started drawing again, and everything went from there. I set up an Instagram account so that I could take part in the Portraits for NHS Heroes initiative and following that the weekly Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Week sittings, and the next thing I knew I had an Instagram following and loads of encouragement to keep producing.

In the Spring of 2021 I finally found the courage to move from pencil to oil paints, and that’s when everything really started to fall into place. I went from producing drawings that people enjoyed to paintings that actually meant something to me, and it was at that point that I realised this was something that I wanted to really focus on, and turn into a career.

What inspired you to utilize painting as a medium?

It’s the only medium that’s ever really excited me. I’m fine with drawing but there’s something about the way you can move oil paint around the canvas, almost sculpting the figure, that really thrills me.

How would you describe your work?

I’m a contemporary figurative realist, who paints about society’s attitudes towards fat bodies. I love to paint my subjects in confident poses, often holding the viewer’s gaze, because the message is that there’s no shame in living in a body that society doesn’t deem acceptable.

Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind your winning work?

This particular piece is about our natural inclination to disguise ourselves, and to present the person we believe society will accept rather than the person that we really are. So often that means that we don’t feel at home in our skin or our clothes, and in this image the costume of a clown represents that feeling of awkwardness.

Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating “Why Do we have to disappear”?

I work from photos, and start all my paintings by drawing on to the canvas first. It really matters to me to get a real likeness, and so it’s important to have the details right from the start. I work in oils without medium and wet on wet. Normally when artists work wet on wet they complete a painting in one sitting, covering the whole canvas with a rough image and then working down to the detail, but I work over several weeks so instead I complete an area at a time.

Really fine details, especially the folds of the fabric and the way that light falls, are important to me so much of the painting is completed using a miniature brush. It’s time-consuming but produces the results that I’m looking for.

What do you hope to communicate to an audience with your work?

It really matters to me that my paintings say something. I want them to challenge perceptions and make people question their biases, but I also want them to be uplifting, especially to people with the types of body I depict. I get all sorts of reactions from people when they see my work, but the most frequent – and most important – is one of feeling seen, and feeling beautiful. For the most part when we see larger bodies depicted in art they’re rendered grotesque or at the very least othered, but it’s important to me to celebrate and normalise the people that I paint.

Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your work?

I think what I’m starting to learn is that my best paintings are produced when I tackle something that makes me nervous. For example, for the first year of my painting career I painted mostly nudes, and was wary of tackling complicated fabrics because I didn’t think I could paint them as well as I paint flesh. But now I can’t get enough of painting fabric. Similarly I’d been wanting to paint one of my models submerged in water but kept putting it off out of fear. I’ve just completed that painting, and it’s one of my favourites. So I’m going to start looking for things that I think are too difficult, and hopefully they’ll keep on proving me wrong!

Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?

There have been so many wins in the last couple of years that it’s hard to put my finger on just one, but if I can pick two they would probably be my first time exhibiting at The Other Art Fair in London, and winning the Visual Artists Association’s Professional Artist Award.

When I submitted my work to The Other Art Fair I assumed I’d have to be rejected a few times before getting in, because I know how high the standard is, and how many artists apply. So I was bowled over to be accepted on my first application, and to be selected as The Fair Director’s Pick. That Fair in March 2022 was such a turning point for me – to exposed to such an incredible, diverse and large audience so early in my career really woke me up to what I could achieve, and I’ve been running with that thought ever since.

And winning the VAA Professional Artist Award at the end of 2022 was the icing on the cake. I had no idea when I returned to art in 2020 that it would lead to winning awards so I really do pinch myself when this kind of thing happens.

Can you give us a piece of advice you wish you had known at the start of your career?

Don’t doubt yourself. At the start of my career I had all sorts of assumptions about what I could expect, and they were mostly that I couldn’t expect much. Every time I’ve ignored those assumptions though I’ve landed somewhere new, and so I really wish I’d never let them get in the way in the first place.

What projects are you working on currently?

At the moment I’m working towards a two-person show this October, with Rosie Phillips. We’ve both had a whirlwind 12 months as far as our art careers go and it feels like we’re in a similar place in terms of momentum, so joining forces to exhibit together felt like a logical next step. In terms of technique our work is quite different, but we’re effectively looking at the same thing from different perspectives. Rosie’s work explores how people occupy physical space, while mine looks at how people, specifically women, occupy societal space. The exhibition will be at Fairhurst Gallery in Norwich, between the 5th and 8th October.

What is your dream project or piece you hope to accomplish?

My dream would be for Lizzo to sit for me. There are so many paintings I’d like to produce, and so many people I’d like to work with, but Lizzo’s the ultimate goal. She represents so much to so many people, and I’d love to translate that onto the canvas. I don’t feel technically good enough just yet to be able to do the project justice, but I’m determined to get there eventually!

As a winner, do you have any advice for artists who want to submit to awards, competitions, residencies, etc.?

Definitely do your research. There are so many opportunities out there and it’s really easy to spend a lot of money on them if you apply to everything you see without properly checking it out first. For example, take a look at the artists that have been successful previously. If they’re all producing large, modern abstracts and you’re producing miniature drawings, perhaps this isn’t the opportunity for you.

Other than being selective about what you put yourself forward for, my main advice would be to believe in yourself. Never hold back from applying because you think you’re not good enough, or that you haven’t got enough experience.

And finally, don’t be disheartened if you’re not successful. Not being accepted doesn’t mean that you’re not good enough, it just means you weren’t right this time. Even hugely successful artists get knocked back, but what makes them successful is their ability to brush themselves off and keep on going.

Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists, what is your advice?

Be clear with yourself about what your work is for. The greater meaning it has for you, the greater meaning it will have for your audience.

To view more of Karen Turner

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