Updates from Karlyn Atkinson Berg / Paintings
July 31, 2025
It has been a pretty intense month! Finally, I finished my small book and am waiting for the first proof, my new brochure is done, grant paintings photographed, and I submitted the final Grant report on time, Monday, in spite of thunderstorms and electric power. I will edit the book one last time because I thought of information I really need to add. But tonight busting out of here for dog training class. Poor Oskar is waiting for action; he has been pretty patient, and I am sick of the computer work!
July 24, 2025
This painting, Buzzards on Guard of a Living Kingdom while Dogs Protect the Land, was completed under my 2024 Minnesota State Arts Board Grant. That grant allowed me to experiment with creating a work with paper, acrylic, and oil paint. To expand my range and defeat replicating familiar collage techniques and materials, which permitted me to explore spontaneous vivid colors using oil sticks, and the impasto finish of oil paint. It required solving the challenges of using oil and paper. Let me know what you think! This activity was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Karlyn Atkinson Berg was a fiscal year 2024 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
July 17, 2025
Saturday will be giving a workshop with a whole new format and topic. Did a new Poster, which is a bit wordy, but needed to explain what the heck it was about. Paint Like Picasso was not really accurate. I'm struggling to complete my grant by June 29, as the deadline is looming. However, in July, I will be able to increase my workshop travel time.
July 10, 2025
On July 19, I am doing a new painting workshop at The Macrostie Art Center in Grand Rapids. This is a carefree and mischievous painting and drawing workshop aimed at discovering the techniques and styles of renowned artists, to gain insight to improve our skills while painting and drawing, and having fun experimenting. It is called Paint like Picasso, but the intent is to discover and experience many painting methods from a diverse assortment of artists, from da Vinci to modern abstract painters. This workshop will include an assortment of methods and techniques I have discovered while learning from this history and my painting experiments. There is no failure in experimenting. You always emerge having discovered new ideas. You can register at MacRostie art Center in Grand Rapids on line or by calling Register online or call 218-326-2697 to sign up. This activity was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Karlyn Atkinson Berg was a fiscal year 2024 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. The hope is to bring this workshop to other communities.
July 3, 2025
Summer is here, but I have a lot of studio work and deadlines but still have to take time to exercise my 1-year-old puppy .. yes, he is a puppy at 80 pounds, but still with puppy brains and needs a lot of activity and walks. Lucky he loves his little pool on the hot days. What he loves most is attacking the spray as I fill the pool and gets pretty soaked in the process!
June 26, 2025
The studio is pretty cool, so pleasant to work there and I have so much work to do... but I have to intersperse my day with exercising and training my puppy Oskar.. yes, he is a puppy only just turned one year old and about 80 pounds but still has his puppy brain.... he sure loves his little pool and primarily loves attacking the spray while I fill it up. When I get it full, I add toys and they get batted all around. I have to get him down to the lake so he can swim. Today it is cold and cloudy so we both go down to the studio where he has bones and I have paintings to do
June 12, 2025
Entered a local Juried Show with a painting that is a little different than most of my other works. Titled, "Imagination Loose at the Phantasmic Carnival" It was part of a series I did about the human experience during the Covid lock down called Reminiscence, Resiliency and Renewal. These six paintings are from the Reminiscence, Resiliency, and Renewal series. The series uses images from nature to focus on and embrace the human experience and the inspirational routes navigated during this difficult challenging period. The pandemic forced the world to face and find ways to overcome isolation and loss. The pandemic also reminded us of our ephemeral condition. Each person had time to reflect not only on survival but the things that matter the most in their lives. This meant introspection, contemplation, and recollection of all that was neglected, overlooked, and rediscovered. Art and culture can be a positive reinforcement and provide a way to deal with and express difficulties as well as strength, hope, and triumph.
June 5, 2025
Lately, I have been active with the Hands Off Protests Yikes, just like my hippy artist years ago, I did the same.... wow, 57 years ago... realization I am still a Hippy at heart and in action. Saw this poster at School where I was subbing ... artists and troubadours need to get back to work like the Woodstock days.
May 29, 2025
After hear Marty Stuart sing this song I was so moved I did this painting. I hope this painting finds a good home. Six White Horses Come to Take You Home Inspiration from the song by Tommy Cash Which Honors Martin Luther King, Bobby and John Kennedy. Six White Horses by Tommy Cash Mhm some folks drink and some folks smoke and some folks love and some folks don't Some folks laugh and some folks frown folks hear then they gun you down Goodbye John six white horses come to take you home Goodbye John they took you away before you sang your song hmm Some preach wrong and some preach right and some preach love and some preach fight Takes every kind to make that world go round takes one to gun you down Goodbye Martin six white horses come to take you home Goodbye Reverend they took you away before you sang your song hmm Some people stick pretty close to home others're born with that urge to roam Welcome welcome to our town hope nobody tries to gun you down Goodbye Bobby six white horses come to take you home Goodbye Robert they took you away before you sang your song hmm Goodbye John and goodbye Martin and goodbye Bobby Well they took you away before you sang your song
May 22, 2025
I am adding a collection of mixed-media collages to my product offerings. The first is Sky Fish. it is a Hand-Cut Collage on paper, and was created using airbrush, transfer rubbing, gesso, gouache, pastel // 11 1/4” x 21 1/8” image size // framed under glass. It has a beautiful translucent color, and detailed photos can be sent. $895
May 1, 2025
Been working on the 2025 series that will begin with acrylic, hand-cut images, and then oil paint. Spending a lot of time auditioning colors and pieces after the first rough base coats of colors. What starts red or pink may end pale white or even black! The series will have a minimum of 6 small and medium-sized square panels and one or two large rectangular panels. Also, now booking my statewide Painting workshops for the months of June through September.
April 3, 2025
I am booking workshops for the Summer of 2025! New expanded Workshops are being designed covering and devoted to color, composition, and abstraction and another to present the art of women artists in history who have made significant inroads in abstract art but are lesser known and even ignored in art history. All workshops include PowerPoint presentations and Hands-on work. Be sure to check out my community page for details.
February 20, 2025
Started booking my summer workshops! Excited to offer the popular Color workshop and one on Collage and a Collagraph workshop. Adding a new "Art Chat" about the challenges and history of women in the arts, specifically painters. Art Chats are usually added free with the paid hands-on programs.
February 13, 2025
Today, I started putting my products into my community page. I started with my puzzles that are of my paintings and my books. During the week, I will start adding my paintings.