Karen Piazza Watercolor and Ceramics Artists

       Since I was young I have felt the need to create. While living in France 17 years ago, I found my inspiration while seeing beautiful art integrated into one’s daily life. I saw paintings everywhere—at a streetcorner café, a conversation between two friends on a park bench, an elegantly dressed French madame walking her dog. These ordinary moments can become extraordinary when transposed on paper, using color, shapes and light. I gravitate towards watercolors, as they allow me to interpret these scenes in an impressionistic style with loose brushstrokes, leaving some interpretation to the imagination of my viewer. Expressing myself with watercolors allows me to evoke emotion, both from myself and for those who view my paintings.

       Working with clay also satisfies my soul, as I design each piece, never the same. I love giving beauty to functional pieces. Whether throwing on the wheel or hand building, my intent is to bring out visual simplicity using shapes, textures and colors. I gravitate towards the shades of nature, with drippy glazes in pigments of blues and greens. Fusing the natural world with my handmade pieces gives me a sense of one with nature, whether it is fresh picked raspberries, still dewy, in a sage green bowl, or a bunch of vibrant yellow sunflowers in a cornflower blue vase. As I express myself with clay, I am able to find solitude and peace in the process of creation.