Karen Monaghan

I graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art with a BA Hons degree and completed a year of post graduate study, before living overseas for 12 years where I continued to work and raise a family.

Returning to the West coast of Scotland in 1998 I painted from my studio in Troon. Now living and working in East Lothian I divide my time between painting and metal work, looking for new ways of resolving the thoughts and connections which inspire my work.

Making repeated journeys; walking; running; climbing; cycling; I note the small changes brought to a familiar place. The sense of place drives me to connect with others with the same feeling of belonging or displacement ; the humanity which connects us all, different but the same. We all see the same sky.  I apply pattern and texture in the under painting, adding elements of texture in layers. I use found objects and personal scraps linking part of my own story to the picture, in the same way that stories and songs are handed on through generations. I use paint peeled from yesterday’s palette to prepare the next support, so that each painting is physically connected to the painting after (and protects the environment!)