Introducing Vibrant Flow: Paintings and Photographs of The Great Marsh, a featured artist exhibit by Karen Futral.
The work in this exhibit reflects my felt sense of The Great Marsh in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island. I most often feel joyfully serene while I am there, and have experienced a sense of space and vibrancy. This is a “flow state” where I deeply engage with the elements of the marsh: the earthy salt air, the whispering grass, and the pulse of the river. “Vibrant Flow” reflects this internal state in conversation with the tidal flow of water in and out of the marsh. The photographs capture a moment as it flows through time. The paintings express feelings on a different timeline.
Join us for an free opening reception on Saturday, October 4 (4-6 PM)!
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I am honored to be in the first group of artists chosen to receive a 2024/2025 grant from the Kathleen Van Demark Fund for Great Marsh Artists, a program of Artists for the Great Marsh and Manship Artists Residency. I thank them again for helping to fund this exhibit, which is the culmination of two parts of my project. The first involved leading groups on Mindfulness walks through Parker River National Wildlife Refuge to help them experience and respond to The Great Marsh from a more deeply centered and sensory aware state. As a therapist and art educator who has lead groups on public lands, this was very rewarding. I thank all of the Refuge rangers who helped to coordinate this effort, and the wonderful participants who walked with me in mindful reverence of The Great Marsh.
My process in creating these paintings involves pouring paint onto the canvas and working intuitively with whatever emerges. I then paint with brushes to add forms and layers. I leave the dripping paint on the sides of some of the paintings as a record of this process, like footprints in the sand.
