Karlene McConnell 
born 1961 - Pittsfield,MA

Karlene McConnell is an American artist living in Florida. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education from the University of Central Florida in 1983. She is a former Special Education Art teacher and Museum Curator. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows from New England to the Miami art fairs. Her art is included in several corporate and private collections including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY and the permanent Lemerand Collection at Daytona State College, FL. 


Perceptions of the natural world are explored through gestural paintings. Her work serves as a bridge between the expectations of realism and the freedom of abstract expressionism. Palettes that are chosen create conversations between cool and warm tones and serve to energize the compositions.

When she is “in the zone” she is exploring the interaction of vibrant colors or making simple marks that mimic nature and are pleasing to look at. Harking back to Matisse, we hear a similar theme: Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the diverse elements at the painter’s command to express his feelings. This is about as close to a manifesto that we can imagine for the wild beasts( Les Fauves never wrote one ) and it applies to McConnell as well. This kind of painter makes no effort to desaturate or blend but allows pure color, even discordant ones, to ring out at a maximum intensity. “    - Dr. James Murphy -original Director Atlantic Center for the Arts & former Art Professor Florida State University