Regional Spotlight Artist Profile | Karen Stanton

The Regional Spotlight initiative is an opportunity for Wide-Bay Burnett artists at any stage in their career, working in any visual art medium, to receive mentorship and share their work at the gallery. Developed from an expressions of interest process, the 2025 exhibition brings a multifaceted survey of local artists sharing their personal connection to space, landscape, environment, home and time through mediums of painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and mixed media work.

Karen Stanton is a printmaker living in Hervey Bay, and works with a reduction printing method to create a rich and layered visual experience in her artwork.⁠

How long have you been making artwork?

My earliest memory of creating art was oil painting with my Grandmother Jessie in the garage of our family property near Tamworth, NSW. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been immersed in painting and creating. After finishing school, I pursued studies in visual communication and advertising design, where I discovered a strong affinity for illustration. For many years, I returned to oil painting, exploring its depths and possibilities. When my family moved from NSW to Hervey Bay, QLD, I transitioned to printmaking, focusing on reduction relief printing. Over the past five years, I have delved deeply into this art form, complemented by ink and watercolor sketching whenever possible. More recently, I’ve begun experimenting with intaglio printmaking techniques, including dry-point and small-scale collagraphs.

What are your favourite mediums to work with and why?

When I am printmaking I love working with Cranfield Caligo Safe Wash relief inks as they offer the rich, tactile feel of oil based inks, but they also provide the advantage of easy cleanup and low toxicity. Paper, to me, is a lovely organic and tactile material and sometimes an artwork in itself. My preferred printmaking paper is Arches 88, as it has an ability to hold multiple layers of overlaid inks with incredible strength. Some of my larger works can require up to 20 layers of colour to achieve their final form, so strength and a smooth surface is important. For smaller pieces with fewer layers, I enjoy using Awagami papers, a Japanese specialty range. Bamboo Select, Kozo, and Hosho are among my favourites, as they also offer strength and absorbency in the smaller works.  When I am illustrating with ink and watercolour in enjoy using Daniel Smith watercolours in my art tool kit palette for traveling and DeAtramentis inks.

Who/what inspires or influences you?

Ten years ago, during a visit to Japan, I was amazed by the beauty of woodblock prints.  Returning home, I knew I had to explore this art form but wasn’t sure where to begin. I was led to the world of lino printmaking, as an alternative to woodblock. My first introduction to reduction printmaking principles came from UK artist Laura Boswell, whose generosity in sharing her knowledge through video tutorials was amazing.

I continue to draw inspiration from Australian printmakers and recently began participating in global print exchanges, to make new connections and inspiration.  Since I first started painting, I’ve been influenced by the work of Chagall, with flying figures and wonderful colours, it has shaped my practice over the years. I’m inspired by anyone who uses art to find their voice and share their experiences through a visual medium. There’s something wonderful about creating and connecting through art.

Has your practice and subject matter changed over time? If so, how?

Growing up on my parents’ grain and sheep property near Tamworth, NSW, shaped the way I perceived the world. Over 20 years ago, my artistic focus was on regional landscapes, portraits, and narrative scenes, capturing the essence of rural life in a stylised method. However, since moving to the Queensland coast, my inspiration has shifted towards the ever-changing coastal landscape and its influence on our daily lives.

This transition also marked a shift in my art practice, from oil painting to printmaking. One thing remains the same, my view to tell a story through an impressionistic narrative form. I have always been drawn to the strange and wonderful, weaving humour into my work to convey messages in a whimsical nature. To me, the narrative is as important as the artwork itself. If a piece artwork invites you to pause, linger, and question its story, then I am happy. 

What do you like most about living in the region?

Hervey Bay and surrounds is the most beautiful environment you could ever be blessed to live in.  We have been fortunate that some of our family have made the move here and have returned from the completion of university studies to make this their home.  Family and connection is one of the most important things in life and we are blessed to have that here.  The region holds a wealth of history and amazing people not to mention the amazing climate and beaches! 

What advice would you give your younger self

“Fortune favours the brave” I wish I had told myself this a long time ago!  Follow what ever it is that makes you tick, gives you the drive and makes you sing.  Do it like, you don’t have time to waste, do it consistently and believe in yourself, as regrets that you didn’t try is far worse than never trying at all.  The best advice I have read recently for creative people is ‘Don’t focus on the outcome, just create’. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Enjoy life and make the most of every day.

What is the most interesting feedback you have had about your work?

Many people have expressed an interest in the process of reduction print making and how the final print is achieved. Recently, I received feedback focusing on how they could see my creative process move between the works of my earlier oil paintings to my recent printmaking in the illustrative form.  This was exciting as I have never seen myself as having a distinct ‘style’.  Another piece of feedback noted the naïve and whimsical nature of my work, a characteristic that has remained consistent throughout my years of art practice.  It is rewarding to feel my personal style is transitioning across to my printmaking practice.

Photo: Lumi Creative