While Karasek employs traditional technique in her representation of people, it’s her extensive use of symbol that gives her work its signature that she describes as magical realism. “I love painting people in portraits but not in the traditional sense of a formal portrait,” she says. “I enjoy making it into a magical realism by adding the symbolism and meaning.”

There it sits, all along, untouched, forgotten. The white pastel. Rarely does a white pastel ever get used in any of my paintings. Maybe as a final touch in the center of the sun, but rarely at any other time.

Upon publishing this painting, I received a very nice comment from one of my supporters, followed by an interesting question: "How much LOVE do you put in your paint?" How Much Love?

When we were kids, they gave us crayons. Such a wonderful tool to express anything that came to mind. A box would come to us with sticks of colored wax standing upright waiting for a small hand to drive. We could draw and scribble. We drew dogs, cats, houses…stuff that made us happy.

Meet volunteer Daniel Fishback. Since 2019, Daniel has been devoting countless hours in the role of education director here at Heartland Art Club. His dedication behind the scenes is reflected in the impressive workshops he puts together. “It’s hard work, but very satisfying,” says Daniel.