Painting the perceptual landscapes of New England from direct observation and memory.
My work is rooted in sustained looking and long familiarity with place.
Welcome to my art studio, and thank you for your interest in my work. This site offers a focused view into my practice. I paint every day, so while it isn’t possible to show everything here, you can follow my ongoing work on my Facebook blog, www.facebook.com/karen.bartone/, where I share paintings fresh off the easel.
My work is rooted in sustained looking and long familiarity with place.
Welcome to my art studio, and thank you for your interest in my work. This site offers a focused view into my practice. I paint every day, so while it isn’t possible to show everything here, you can follow my ongoing work on my Facebook blog, www.facebook.com/karen.bartone/, where I share paintings fresh off the easel.
About This Painting
Pondering How We See the Cosmos at Ice Pond, Monhegan Island
30" oil on circular panel, July 2025
From my home pond—where I have painted the Pondering series for over two decades—to Ice Pond on Monhegan Island, these landscapes suggest that familiar places can open onto the infinite.
On July 21, 2025, twenty years after my father’s passing, I painted this 30" circular panel at Ice Pond on Monhegan Island. Made in his honor, the work reflects on the path his life opened for me as a painter and considers how memory and light gather within a specific place. This painting was supported by a Connecticut State Colleges and Universities research grant connected to my long-standing teaching practice in studio art.
My circular paintings engage a perceptual approach to vision—how we see, attend, and remain present. Painting from life is not replication but relationship: a sustained exchange between the artist and the living world. In an era shaped by mechanical and artificial vision, this work insists on seeing as a human act. I paint entirely by eye, responding directly to the shifting energy of the world. For me, painting is an act of presence—of organizing and honoring complexity through sustained looking.
Pondering How We See the Cosmos at Ice Pond, Monhegan Island
30" oil on circular panel, July 2025
From my home pond—where I have painted the Pondering series for over two decades—to Ice Pond on Monhegan Island, these landscapes suggest that familiar places can open onto the infinite.
On July 21, 2025, twenty years after my father’s passing, I painted this 30" circular panel at Ice Pond on Monhegan Island. Made in his honor, the work reflects on the path his life opened for me as a painter and considers how memory and light gather within a specific place. This painting was supported by a Connecticut State Colleges and Universities research grant connected to my long-standing teaching practice in studio art.
My circular paintings engage a perceptual approach to vision—how we see, attend, and remain present. Painting from life is not replication but relationship: a sustained exchange between the artist and the living world. In an era shaped by mechanical and artificial vision, this work insists on seeing as a human act. I paint entirely by eye, responding directly to the shifting energy of the world. For me, painting is an act of presence—of organizing and honoring complexity through sustained looking.
Contact
Paintings may be viewed in your home, at my Connecticut shoreline studio, through my gallery, Six Summit in Ivoryton, Connecticut, or by request via email. My work ships safely nationwide and internationally.
I also welcome commissions and enjoy creating paintings that bring the atmosphere and light of the natural world into both residential and professional spaces, thoughtfully tailored to each setting.
Please take your time looking around, and feel free to reach out with any questions.
www.facebook.com/karen.bartone/
[email protected]
860-575-4380
Thanks for stopping in 🎨
Paintings may be viewed in your home, at my Connecticut shoreline studio, through my gallery, Six Summit in Ivoryton, Connecticut, or by request via email. My work ships safely nationwide and internationally.
I also welcome commissions and enjoy creating paintings that bring the atmosphere and light of the natural world into both residential and professional spaces, thoughtfully tailored to each setting.
Please take your time looking around, and feel free to reach out with any questions.
www.facebook.com/karen.bartone/
[email protected]
860-575-4380
Thanks for stopping in 🎨