Karin Carnes

My early years were shaped by a childhood spent between the remote regions of central Africa and Bavaria, Germany, where I later studied art in Regensburg. A perpetually restless spirit, I travelled widely before chance brought me to Australia, where I finally felt at home. Drawn to the rugged beauty of the Kimberley, I lived and worked in this remote landscape for over 20 years. The region’s extraordinary scenery inspired me to work with natural media, reflecting my deep connection to this land and its rich tapestry of colours and textures. Today, I live and works in the coastal town of Kalbarri, continuing to spend time travelling and gathering inspiration and sketches for my artwork.

Inspired by the magnificent landscapes of Western Australia, I create earthy, semi-abstract landscape paintings that seek to capture not only what I see, but what I feel when immersed in the colours and textures of this land. My work is an exploration of our deep connection to nature. Sometimes when I’m out in nature, something catches my eyes, just for a moment taking my breath away and touching my heart. It is the essence and feeling of these moments that I strive to capture on canvas. Each painting becomes a testament to the vibrant spirit of the land, inviting viewers to experience nature not just as a physical space, but as a source of inspiration, grounding, and connection.

I love that some of the processes that shape our ancient landscape can be re-enacted on my canvas by building textured layers based on marble dust, putty, lime and local sands. I use pigments, inks, stains and local earth to achieve colours that retain the natural feel of the elements that make up this wonderful landscape. My process aims to evoke the tactile experience of nature, like bark, stone or soil, allowing each painting to evolve in its own wonderfully unpredictable way.