Artist’s Statement

Art is an intricate part of every day life and as artists our life experiences and environment play a very important role. It’s these situations that create the person we are and how we, as artist, choose to portray the world or subjects around us. Some choose to portray the ravages of war or starvation of others, which are all very important issues. I on the other hand feel there is enough ugliness and cruelty in the world and choose to focus on capturing  beauty. This may be done in the form of lines leading into graceful  movement or the use of color to capture a mood.

The challenge is to create art that speaks to the observer.  My subjects are rural  midwest settings and landscapes. As a landscape painter my goal is to capture and record something from both the past and the present, and yet give the image of landscape a sense of permanence, even though it is constantly changing. I don’t want to
present it the way it really is but to present something beautiful and at the same time evoke feelings that cause people to look at it in a new way and at the same time offer them an escape from everyday  concerns and overwhelming problems of the world.

As a sculptor the eagle, the wolf, and the trumpeter swan are all subjects that have attracted my attention and become subjects for my work. Like the landscape that’s ever changing so is the echo system and preservation of these endangered species as well as the ever changing  environment are inseparable.

Preservation of the endangered and the loss of something beautiful are all the issues that make up my intricate expressions as an artist This contour of nature, this natural view,  this is what my art is all about.

Artist’s Biography

Based in Macomb, Illinois, Karla Runquist’s work has been displayed in many locations and galleries throughout the United States and in numerous private collections through out the world.

She has exhibited in shows though out the nation, including the annual Sculpture in the South in Summerville, SC, and the Loveland Sculpture Show in Loveland CO. Karla was awarded an Illinois State Arts Council grant to attend the International Sculpture Conference and has received numerous other awards.