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January-March 2016
Interview Karon Leigh Rio Rico, AZ |
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Karon Leigh
Karon Leigh is unusual in that she is an accomplished artist with some impressive technical skills. That is, she and computers actually can understand each other! Karon teaches art and supports artists with digital services, in addition to producing some beautiful artwork. Karon is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan but she has spent much of her adult life in the American West – Washington, California, and now Arizona. Her studio is in Rio Rico just south of Tubac.
SAN: Karon, I know you lived for a while in St. David, then you relocated to Rio Rico and you built a studio there. What brought you to Arizona in the first place, and why did you choose Rio Rico to settle?
Karon Leigh: I had lived in Arizona many years back. My first two (of three) sons were born in Phoenix. I eventually landed in Washington where I lived for 14 years before returning to Arizona. I think at different times in our lives we are called to be in different places. At that time, escaping from Las Vegas, I needed water and greenery. My artistic palette reflected that as well. Over time I felt weighted down with the weather of the Pacific Northwest and needed sun again in my life. The natural choice was to return to Arizona. I find I’m more comfortable in rural areas. I landed in St. David kind of as a fluke. I enjoy the quiet of rural living and that is also what drew me to Rio Rico. I moved to Santa Cruz County when I started working at Tubac Center of the Arts. Like St. David, Rio Rico is quiet, has limited traffic and I can see the stars at night. I have an incredible view of San Cayetano Mountain in my backyard, and I’ve been painting that mountain for the past 3 years.
SAN: Karon, I know you lived for a while in St. David, then you relocated to Rio Rico and you built a studio there. What brought you to Arizona in the first place, and why did you choose Rio Rico to settle?
Karon Leigh: I had lived in Arizona many years back. My first two (of three) sons were born in Phoenix. I eventually landed in Washington where I lived for 14 years before returning to Arizona. I think at different times in our lives we are called to be in different places. At that time, escaping from Las Vegas, I needed water and greenery. My artistic palette reflected that as well. Over time I felt weighted down with the weather of the Pacific Northwest and needed sun again in my life. The natural choice was to return to Arizona. I find I’m more comfortable in rural areas. I landed in St. David kind of as a fluke. I enjoy the quiet of rural living and that is also what drew me to Rio Rico. I moved to Santa Cruz County when I started working at Tubac Center of the Arts. Like St. David, Rio Rico is quiet, has limited traffic and I can see the stars at night. I have an incredible view of San Cayetano Mountain in my backyard, and I’ve been painting that mountain for the past 3 years.
SAN: You refer to yourself as “a contemporary expressionist artist/painter with a focus on abstracted landscape.” What is it about the southern Arizona landscape that so strongly appeals to you?
KL: The Sonoran Desert seems to be full of secrets, stories and history. I live with the legends that sleep in the mountains that surround me. I love the experience of the monsoons and the Arizona sunsets. When driving, I often have to pull over just to take it all in. It’s kind of like a spiritual experience for me – hard to explain, and even harder to capture and interpret into my art making. But that’s what I feel compelled to do.
[click on all images to enlarge]
KL: The Sonoran Desert seems to be full of secrets, stories and history. I live with the legends that sleep in the mountains that surround me. I love the experience of the monsoons and the Arizona sunsets. When driving, I often have to pull over just to take it all in. It’s kind of like a spiritual experience for me – hard to explain, and even harder to capture and interpret into my art making. But that’s what I feel compelled to do.
[click on all images to enlarge]
KLeigh_After The Storm_48in x 48in, acrylic on canvas
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KLeigh_Monsoon_48in x48in, oil on canvas
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KLeigh_On The Edge_36in x 48in, acrylic on canvas
SAN: Some artists choose a subdued pallet and others choose to emphasis color. Your artwork is definitely very colorful. How do you understand your attraction to color? Do you see these vibrant colors as an expression of an interior state of mind? or a logical response to the landscape around you? or both? or something very different? Briefly, what does such intense color mean for you as an artist?
KL: We walk through life not seeing most of what is right in front of us. When you can stop and really be in the moment, in a place, especially in nature, the color will just glow for you. Think “What Dreams May Come” with Robin Williams. Color is like music for our eyes. I use bold colors not only because it is what I see and more importantly what I feel, but as a reminder to appreciate the natural beauty of the world.
SAN: You work in oil, acrylic and encaustic, and also on paper. How do you decide which medium to use when you start a painting? Do you find one more challenging or easier than another?
KL: The medium I choose at any moment is often random depending on how I feel like engaging with the work. When I paint with acrylics I am very physically engaged with the painting. It’s a physical workout building up layers, scraping away, painting, wiping out and painting again. Oil paints for me are more of a free flowing dance with the canvas. Encaustic paints are for when I’m feeling inquisitive and experimental, more of a “what if” type of engagement. When I work on paper, usually in a printmaking process, it is a quieter and focused time. Sometimes I just long for the feel of paper in my hands.
SAN: Tell us about the art classes you teach. You teach encaustic, monotype printmaking and also do you teach painting? Are the classes all held at your studio or do you travel to various locations? or both?
KL: I teach process workshops in both encaustic and monotype printmaking to provide people a tool to explore their creative expression. I don’t claim to be an expert in any of these mediums but I believe in sharing the experience of art making. The painting workshop I offer is less process and more about mark making and the joy of art making. I teach mostly in my studio but occasionally in other locations like at the Beads of Tubac.
KL: The medium I choose at any moment is often random depending on how I feel like engaging with the work. When I paint with acrylics I am very physically engaged with the painting. It’s a physical workout building up layers, scraping away, painting, wiping out and painting again. Oil paints for me are more of a free flowing dance with the canvas. Encaustic paints are for when I’m feeling inquisitive and experimental, more of a “what if” type of engagement. When I work on paper, usually in a printmaking process, it is a quieter and focused time. Sometimes I just long for the feel of paper in my hands.
SAN: Tell us about the art classes you teach. You teach encaustic, monotype printmaking and also do you teach painting? Are the classes all held at your studio or do you travel to various locations? or both?
KL: I teach process workshops in both encaustic and monotype printmaking to provide people a tool to explore their creative expression. I don’t claim to be an expert in any of these mediums but I believe in sharing the experience of art making. The painting workshop I offer is less process and more about mark making and the joy of art making. I teach mostly in my studio but occasionally in other locations like at the Beads of Tubac.
KLeigh_Landscape-Fllight_22in x 15in, monotype collage on paper
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KLeigh_5 Steps Beyond Reason_20in x 16in, clay monotype
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KLeigh_Flow_48in x36in, acrylic on canvas
SAN: Your bio says that in addition to your art training, you also have a degree in computer science. Tell us about the digital services you provide for arts and art organizations.
KL: I’ve always been an artist, since I was a small child. My high school years were filled with art classes. I then went on to study at California College of Arts & Crafts, UNLV and have continued to study art all of my life. Art is my passion but I never expected to make a career out of it. My undergraduate degree is in Computer Information Systems and I later earned certification in web and graphic design. I spent most of my career in commercial printing and also owned my own business before moving to Arizona.
Ironically, in this digital age we now live in, arts and computers go hand in hand. I find a creative outlet both in traditional art mediums as well as web based. I’m currently working towards a graduate degree in Integrated Marketing Communication which very much focuses on the digital world. This past March, in order to focus on my education, I left the art center in Tubac and returned to self-employment. I work in graphic and web design as well as other digital promotion and marketing services for local nonprofits, small businesses and artists. I continue to work with the Tubac Center of the Arts, managing their website, e-news and other design and promotional materials and now also get to work with a number of other organizations.
SAN: Too many artists seem to think that a Facebook (or other social media) page is sufficient for a web presence. Why do you think that every artist needs a webpage?
KL: I see Facebook and other social media sites as a tool to drive traffic to a website. Anyone in business these days, whether artist, entrepreneur, small business or large, needs a website to be able to compete in our current digital world. Artists, if a goal is to be in a gallery, sell work or teach, a website is a critical medium to represent and sell yourself. An artist with a website is perceived as more professional than one that does not. So determining if a website is needed depends on what one is attempting to do with their art.
KL: I’ve always been an artist, since I was a small child. My high school years were filled with art classes. I then went on to study at California College of Arts & Crafts, UNLV and have continued to study art all of my life. Art is my passion but I never expected to make a career out of it. My undergraduate degree is in Computer Information Systems and I later earned certification in web and graphic design. I spent most of my career in commercial printing and also owned my own business before moving to Arizona.
Ironically, in this digital age we now live in, arts and computers go hand in hand. I find a creative outlet both in traditional art mediums as well as web based. I’m currently working towards a graduate degree in Integrated Marketing Communication which very much focuses on the digital world. This past March, in order to focus on my education, I left the art center in Tubac and returned to self-employment. I work in graphic and web design as well as other digital promotion and marketing services for local nonprofits, small businesses and artists. I continue to work with the Tubac Center of the Arts, managing their website, e-news and other design and promotional materials and now also get to work with a number of other organizations.
SAN: Too many artists seem to think that a Facebook (or other social media) page is sufficient for a web presence. Why do you think that every artist needs a webpage?
KL: I see Facebook and other social media sites as a tool to drive traffic to a website. Anyone in business these days, whether artist, entrepreneur, small business or large, needs a website to be able to compete in our current digital world. Artists, if a goal is to be in a gallery, sell work or teach, a website is a critical medium to represent and sell yourself. An artist with a website is perceived as more professional than one that does not. So determining if a website is needed depends on what one is attempting to do with their art.
KLeigh_When Apples Fall_ 10" x 10", encaustic on board
SAN: What do you have scheduled in the next few months for art exhibits you are participating in, or art classes and/or digital classes you have planned?
KL: I have an exhibit at my studio in January with two other women artists called “36 x 24 x 36.”
Dates:
Fri., Jan. 15th, 4-7pm reception,
Sat., Jan. 16th, 1-7pm and Sun.,
Jan. 17th, 1-4pm.
Directions are on my website at http://www.KaronLeighArtWorkshops.com.
I have “Wax & Wine” workshops at the Beads of Tubac, January 12th and February 9th. I plan to schedule a monotype printmaking workshop in my studio in February and then have Open Studio Tour in late March. The digital classes which help people create websites, use and integrate social media to promote their business or art are scheduled on an individual basis.
SAN: Here’s a question SAN is asking every artist we interview. What do you think would make life easier for artists in southern Arizona? What would you like to see happen for the arts in our bioregion?
KL: Our society and culture don’t seem to appreciate and value the arts like they used to. Arts are always the first thing pulled from education programs. If we don’t teach people the value that art has not only on their individual lives but on a society both in quality of life but also in economic development and community building, how can we as artists expect to create and provide a service that no one appreciates?
There are plenty of studies that show that arts in education affect all areas of learning.
“Schools that integrate arts across the curriculum in the US have shown consistently higher average reading and mathematics scores compared to similar schools that do not.” (Arts Council England)
People need to consider voting for arts funding in their communities as well as working for private arts funding. Luckily, artists are a strong bunch and diligently work together to support the arts through exhibits, workshops and events such as Open Studio Tours. Artists and arts organizations are much stronger when collaborating.
In our region, I believe there is opportunity with cross border art events that can help to change the perspective of life in the border communities. I work with an organization called Border Community Alliance, http://www.BorderCommunityAlliance.com whose mission is to “improve the lives of people in the US/Mexico border region through experiential education, policy advocacy, and strengthening cross border ties.” The arts are part of the BCA programming.
I would love to see businesses in this region invest in the arts, with an understanding that the arts impacts economic development, and build our area reputation as an arts destination as well as just a beautiful place to live.
Learn more about Karon Leigh’s artwork and upcoming classes on her website:
http://www.KaronLeighArtWorkshops.com
and her digital work at http://www.ConceptsMarketingDesign.com.
References:
Mowlah, A., Niblett, V., Blackburn, J., and Harris, M., The Arts Council England.
The Value of Arts and Culture to People and Society.
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/pdf/The-value-of-arts-and-culture-to-people-and-society-An-evidence-review-TWO.pdf
http://artsandculture.msu.edu/about/impact.aspx
KL: I have an exhibit at my studio in January with two other women artists called “36 x 24 x 36.”
Dates:
Fri., Jan. 15th, 4-7pm reception,
Sat., Jan. 16th, 1-7pm and Sun.,
Jan. 17th, 1-4pm.
Directions are on my website at http://www.KaronLeighArtWorkshops.com.
I have “Wax & Wine” workshops at the Beads of Tubac, January 12th and February 9th. I plan to schedule a monotype printmaking workshop in my studio in February and then have Open Studio Tour in late March. The digital classes which help people create websites, use and integrate social media to promote their business or art are scheduled on an individual basis.
SAN: Here’s a question SAN is asking every artist we interview. What do you think would make life easier for artists in southern Arizona? What would you like to see happen for the arts in our bioregion?
KL: Our society and culture don’t seem to appreciate and value the arts like they used to. Arts are always the first thing pulled from education programs. If we don’t teach people the value that art has not only on their individual lives but on a society both in quality of life but also in economic development and community building, how can we as artists expect to create and provide a service that no one appreciates?
There are plenty of studies that show that arts in education affect all areas of learning.
“Schools that integrate arts across the curriculum in the US have shown consistently higher average reading and mathematics scores compared to similar schools that do not.” (Arts Council England)
People need to consider voting for arts funding in their communities as well as working for private arts funding. Luckily, artists are a strong bunch and diligently work together to support the arts through exhibits, workshops and events such as Open Studio Tours. Artists and arts organizations are much stronger when collaborating.
In our region, I believe there is opportunity with cross border art events that can help to change the perspective of life in the border communities. I work with an organization called Border Community Alliance, http://www.BorderCommunityAlliance.com whose mission is to “improve the lives of people in the US/Mexico border region through experiential education, policy advocacy, and strengthening cross border ties.” The arts are part of the BCA programming.
I would love to see businesses in this region invest in the arts, with an understanding that the arts impacts economic development, and build our area reputation as an arts destination as well as just a beautiful place to live.
Learn more about Karon Leigh’s artwork and upcoming classes on her website:
http://www.KaronLeighArtWorkshops.com
and her digital work at http://www.ConceptsMarketingDesign.com.
References:
Mowlah, A., Niblett, V., Blackburn, J., and Harris, M., The Arts Council England.
The Value of Arts and Culture to People and Society.
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/pdf/The-value-of-arts-and-culture-to-people-and-society-An-evidence-review-TWO.pdf
http://artsandculture.msu.edu/about/impact.aspx