I Had A Farm In Africa

I Had An Art Gallery In Sarasota

Sarasota Florida, home of the famous “Ringling school of art and design” is known as a cultural gem by the ocean.  It boasts the Ringling Museum, fine art galleries, its own Theater, Ballet Company, Opera, and offers something for everyone when it comes to the arts.

In the year 2000, I jumped off a cliff like they do on cartoons, and opened “The Kinghale Gallery” on Main Street in Sarasota.  I knew nothing about the art “business”.  It was a complete leap of faith.  Fortunately I had a number of other things going for me.  First of all, an inventory of exceptional art that I truly believed in.  Second, a supportive husband willing to haul horse.  I also have a keen interest in design and I had a very clear vision for the gallery.  Last but not least I adore engaging people and although I am a very private person {I know you can’t tell from my blog posts}, I am not the least bit shy when it comes to the arts and discovering someone’s area of interest and passion and helping them create a beautiful meaningful environment.

On the down side, the rent and overhead was astronomical and the location was just a bit off.  Yes I was on Main Street but Main Street was just a little off the beaten path about a block or so from the famous Palm Avenue where all the prestigious galleries were lined up like ducks in a row, in more ways than one.

I was also next door to a disgusting smelly bar.  It was not the cool kind. Unfortunately it was the kind with degraded derelicts and drunkards. There were also transients and pan-handlers constantly harassing everyone in the downtown area.  Boy do I have some stories!

Another challenge was that I opened the gallery with absolutely no capital, money for marketing or advertising, or any cushion to allow time to build a business.

So, on a wing, a hoof, and a prayer, we were off and running, the horses and I. We were ready to take on the art world in all our passion and innocence.  To make a long story short, we actually survived remarkably well, thanks to the strength of the horses, because they had a heavy load to bear.

I never seem to take the traditional route in any thing I do and I had not approached the art business with a background in business or a résumé a mile long, nor did I have tons of awards and prestigious shows or critics accolades to back up my work.  However, this was no hobby for me; I was serious.  I have been an artist from a family of artists my entire life, not to mention past lives. My paintings were huge, extremely unique; with fabulous over-the- top framing, so there was an immediate perceived value.  They were also stunningly displayed in an exquisitely elegant gallery so there we were; the horses and I.

We were in business.

After a couple years of hands on experience in the business of art, my lease was up and I decided to relocate the gallery.  Main Street was under going major construction and to be honest, I was ready to get away from the weirdoes that wander the streets, especially since I ran the gallery all by myself.  Boy do I have some stories. I never knew Sarasota had so many self proclaimed Ninjas etc.

My next gallery was even more beautiful than the first.  I had what I thought was the brilliant idea of opening a gallery directly adjacent and literally attached to a French restaurant owned by a friend of mine on the far end of town.

The gallery was drop-dead gorgeous, positively magical.  I painted all the walls and ceiling black.  The giant front window wall of glass was covered in theatrical purple satin curtains to control the light.  The gallery was divided into two sections by a wall with a double sided fireplace.

The front half of the gallery was ultra contemporary with contemporary neon blue lighting, light hardwood flooring, black leather furniture, lots of stainless steel and glass and of course, a shinning black baby grand.  This is where we displayed the paintings with the very contemporary framing.  The back half of the gallery was very elegant and ornate with the most magnificent gold and crystal chandelier and old world ornate desk, table and accent pieces.

The aura and energy of this gallery was electric and palpable.  People would walk in and just be floored at the beauty, ambiance and the feeling of calm.

See gallery video:.

So what happened to this gallery? Well, remember the part about the gallery being adjoined to the French restaurant?  I learned a costly lesson about how to choose friends/business associates wisely.

In the end, as much as I enjoyed owning and running an art gallery, I had little time to paint so it was a catch-22 from the very beginning. It was my giant equestrian paintings that carried the weight of the gallery, paid the overhead and brought in business, and there I was running a business and not painting.

The art business, like any other business is a business.  It is a numbers game and the best product in the world is not going to sell unless people know about it.  Not many artists know how to market themselves. Selling art is also about establishing relationships and earning the trust and confidence of the clients. It is about consistency, reputation, and truly caring about and helping people create their own best environments that they can love and take pride in.

I have found a really enlightening resource that offers help and advice backed by knowledge and years of experience, to both artists and art buyers.  It is www.artbusiness.com

Having been on both sides of the fence (gallery owner and artist), I have the utmost respect for art galleries, allowing me a perspective that most artists will never have.    We artists can be touchy about our art but one has to admire the artists whose work actually sells for what-ever reason and one has to admire galleries that do justice to their artists, their clients, and themselves.  The art business is not for the faint of heart.

Knowing what I know now, I would not recommend opening a brick and mortar art gallery unless you really know what you are doing; have tons of stamina, capital, a passion for business and hard work, a solid background knowledge of art, marketing, a willingness to socialize and network, a competent accountant, good connections, and a sensational location. Oh yes, and really GREAT ART!

Having said that; I learned a lot by jumping off the cliff and taking that leap of faith.  It’s just like on cartoons.  You have to grab a lot of little branches to break your fall, but sometimes magic happens and you find you can fly.

NOW I AM BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN!

I can’t believe it; here I go again.   I just opened a small gallery in Santa Fe New Mexico, yes “SANTA FE”!

It is called, “The Santa Fe Pony Express” because I literally express ponies from Colorado to Santa Fe through the mountains and plains of the Great Southwest.

But this time it is different.

How is it different? Well, I learned a lot over the years.  First of all, I am not investing a ton of time and money to get it off the ground.  My overhead is microscopic compared to the galleries I owned in the past.  I have a partner and co-owner so I don’t have to do everything myself.

My partner is also my sister in law who I love and trust. We share duties of running our business.  She lives in Santa Fe so I am able to stay with her for several days at a time as my commute is too long to come and go each day.  This gives me time to paint back home in Colorado as well as spend time at our gallery in Santa Fe.

Our location is fabulous. We are right in the middle of Santa Fe’s own beloved “Jackalope”.

Jackalope has been a favorite of locals and tourists for years.  It is like a little village with many different shops, venders, and artisans. You can find pretty much anything you would find around the Plaza in old downtown Santa Fe but for a fraction of the price.

Kids love Jackalope because it is kid and dog friendly.  It has its own little prairie dog village with the cutest fat little prairie dogs that love to eat and play in front of their audience.  There are also lovely donkeys on the premises, peacocks, and funny looking chickens with big hair.

Our little Santa Fe Pony Express Jack-shack fits right in to the ambiance.  It definitely has charm and the flavor of Santa Fe and the old West.  People love the experience. We offer many fabulous Southwest inspired treasures for sale other than giant horse paintings so there is something for everyone.  Little sales add up and people love to purchase special affordable things from someone they like.

The nice thing about having such low overhead and selling the horses myself is that I am able to pass the savings on to my customers.  It is win win all the way.

People are amazed when they walk into our little gallery outlet because they are not expecting to see original fine art of this magnitude.  They also love meeting the artist and learning all about what they are seeing.  It’s the real deal all the way around.  Everybody loves a good deal and we have the right mix of outstanding quality and value which is especially important in this economy.

The horses have no problem speaking for themselves; they never have.   When people meet them it is often love at first sight.

THE PONY EXPRESS RIDES AGAIN!  And so do I!

Foghorn Leghorn

“That’s a joke, son!”  ”Pay attention now, boy!”

“I’M IN A HEAP OF TROUBLE NOW!”  HERE THEY ARE!

MY ART BASEL PAINTINGS!!!

Am I in a heap of trouble?  Hardly; at best I’m flattering myself.

I am always poking fun at Art Basel partly because it is an exclusive “political” club which I will probably never have an opportunity to be a member of, and partly because someone’s got to do it. What’s the worst that can happen?  I will be ignored, or better yet blacklisted and accused of being a whiny artist, or a bad artist, or a jealous artist or one might say I just don’t get it, or heaven forbid one might call my art the dreaded “D” word (DECORATER ART)?

So what!  Don’t hate my art because it’s beautiful. I don’t worry about what people think of me or my art, at least not enough to edit myself. I care what “I” think about my art.  I am my own worst critic and best fan.  If one does not believe in oneself, ones truth, and ones work; who else will.

In my opinion, Art Basel is a cross between “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and “Craft Day at the Psyche Hospital” sprinkled with some amazing brilliant inspired work. Art Basel plays a fine game of manipulating perceived value. It reminds me of that Dr. Seuss story about the Star Belly Sneetches ; value is a consideration; gotta love that.

I do not want to take anything away from any of the artists lucky and talented enough to have their work exhibited at Art Basel; more power to them. It is hard enough to be an artist in a society that often does not value its artist.  I see a lot of government support for the big banks, Wall Street, etc. but very little for the Arts, which does not make sense because ART can be a “tangible” investment and uplifting to society.

At least Art Basel celebrates art and brings attention to art with its International collection of exhibiting galleries. Having owned and operated an art gallery for several years in the past, I have the utmost respect for art galleries.  They provide a wonderful service, promoting artists and educating people in the arts.

What I find disappointing about Art Basel is that there is so much emphasis placed on degradation, resulting in an abundance of “crap”.  So much of the art tries so hard to be shocking that it has the opposite effect, and all just runs together.

There is a place for angst, ugliness, suppression, and horror when it illuminates something in society that needs to be changed, but darkness for darkness sake can be boring unless it is skillfully, rendered and communicates.

I understand the idea and importance of conceptual art but I would like to see a balance of the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Art Basel is a bit lopsided.  It’s like watching sensationalistic negative news or reality TV all day.  You end up feeling so disheartened and disgusted you can barely move.

One might wonder, “Who does she think she is, critiquing Art Basel?”

I am the “real deal”, an artist from a long time ago, from a family of artists from a long time ago.  I have done my time and am continuing to do so.  I have dedicated my life to honing my craft, earning the right and confidence to speak my truth.

I wake up every morning with an ever changing giant herd of horses in my living room. I spend hours, weeks, and years outside painting, inhaling paint fumes and sweating out in the hot sun, or freezing in the cold while painting with numb frostbit fingers.

And then there are “those frames”, not easy to find, build, figure out, manipulate, pay for, haul around, or ship. Did I mention the challenges of marketing art? I have been on both sides of the fence {gallery owner and artist} without the luxurious cushion of a big bankroll to back me up and bathe me in accolades and advertising.

On top of all that I am now a blogging artist, trying not to come across as TOO crazy, boring, or moronic. “MY KINGDOM FOR AN AGENT” aka an ultra RICH Sugar Daddy or Mama {I think the former only exists in fairytales and so does the latter for that matter}.

So here I am out standing in my field on my own two feet surrounded by a herd of wild horses, which by the way, couldn’t drag me away.

My art may not be everyone’s cup of tea but one cannot deny it has validity, and at the end of the day, it looks “MARVELOUS DAWLING” on the wall!  “TAKE THAT! -ART BASEL”!

Would I exhibit at Art Basel given the chance? &%$# YES!!!  I may be crazy but I’m not stupid.

A famous 20th century philosopher once said, “A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists”.

Where would the world be without its artists? THINK PARIS! THINK AVATAR!

Art is the language of the spiritual nature of mankind. Artists create the future and that future can be one that we would like to have, not just for ourselves but for future generations.

My art is about “Strength of Spirit.”

My message is “be strong, be brave, be playful, be kind, be productive, and be passionate.  Hold your head high and make your dreams happen and HELP OTHERS achieve theirs.  Take responsibility for making the world a BETTER place.”

So here I am painting chickens on horses trying to get myself in a heap of trouble.

“THAT’S A JOKE SON”!

Please feel free to leave a comment.  I would rather dodge stones than be invisible, which is why I live in a glass house so COME ON!

“HIT ME WITH YOU BEST SHOT”!

She’ll be “coming round the mountain” when she comes, when she comes!  Halleluja and Yipee ey ey!

Here they are; those six brown horses I promised.

I painted these especially for my Arabian horse fans who love their magnificent browns, bays, and chestnut Arabian horses and have an appreciation for art.

It is one thing to have a fabulous photograph or a super realistic portrait of ones horse but another thing entirely to have one of these majestic, flamboyant, wild and crazy works of art hanging on one’s wall.  These paintings are not for the faint of heart.

I don’t want to scare anyone away by showing the horses in these massive frames.  It takes a powerful horse to hold its own in the most over-the- top, ornate, ten ton, ostentatious framing shown in these photos.

These frames are so heavy I have to SLIDE them around my living room with all my strength when doing a photo shoot.  Either that or use a forklift {my husband}. When one of these frames accidentally falls over, the earth shakes.  If I can’t catch it in the nick of time before gravity takes over, we all run for our lives.

I would like to point out that the horses would be equally stunning in a simple light weight red, gold, or black contemporary frame.  They would even look quite dandy in a rustic brown wood frame for that matter. Ones choice in framing can tie in almost any work of art to fit ones taste, style, and environment.

I must admit these new horses look SO out of place in my home.  They look like a bunch of fiery fish out of water here in my living room because my home is done in whites, silvers, and shades of periwinkle.

In fact they can’t wait to get out of here so if anyone out there likes vivid bright rich warm colors and does not hate horses, feel free to inquire about adoption.

HAPPY TRAILS from the KKCorral, Kinghale Gallery, and Frederick Von Kinghale the XlV.  Oh, and of course Catherine the Great, Lady Gaga, and Ellie May Clampett.

How does 150 million dollars grab you? According to Wikipedia, the highest known price ever paid for a painting was for a painting by JACKSON POLLACK.

Jackson Pollack multi-million dollar painting No. 5, 1948

The record price was paid for a work from No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock sold at US$140 million in 2006, (approx. $150.6 million in CPI-adjusted 2010 US dollars).^[1

WHAT DO JACKSON POLLACK

AND I HAVE IN COMMON?

Well, we both drip paint from above. That’s about it.

The difference is that my paint lands in the shape of a horse. My style of painting is messy with lots of fumes, which is why I paint outside.  I drip, spray, pour, toss, and throw paint from above onto a board on the ground in my driveway.

There are no brushstrokes because my tool of choice is a stick from any tree that I dip in the paint and drizzle over the board.  It lands in the shape of a horse. This is the way I paint all my paintings, even the more realistic looking ones.

It takes a lot of control, not to mention courage, and oh yes, a dash of magic to get the rapidly falling paint to land in just the right place, especially when the wind is blowing really hard, but the end result is a painting with so much life force it is palpable.

Maelstrom in progress in my driveway.   My driveway actually looks like a Jackson Pollack painting.

Believe it or not Jackson Pollack never influenced my art in any way, shape, or form.  This is just the way I paint.

My biggest influence was actually Frederick Remington.  To learn why, you can read my “about page” on my gallery website www.kinghalegallery.com.

I would love to know what you feel gives a painting value? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear them.

Meet Maelstrom!

He is a real “horse’s ass”! He is a bit of a cartoon character horse that suddenly appeared right after I had just completed a beautiful series of soft, refined, ethereal, angelic, more realistic silvery white Arabian horse paintings.

I guess the fluffy horses and I were ready for a break and low and behold Maelstrom showed up to stir things up.  Maelstrom is a blue horse with wild eyes and an annoying personality.  He is a jester and none of the other horses like him because he is rude, selfish, confrontational, and he acts stupid. He is constantly getting into fights and causing a “MAELSTROM” of trouble.

If you can get past Maelstrom, the paintings are actually quite beautiful with their brilliant colors and dramatic composition.

The composition is dynamite; extremely calculated with a juxtaposition of contrasting colors and apposing angles that detonate into an explosion of hurricane force energy, action, and chaos.  The paintings are intelligent, humorous, and they poke fun at their more realistic and eloquent counterparts.

Maelstrom and the Yellow horse 48” X 36”

Maelstrom and the Purple horse 36” X 48”

If you would like to see more paintings in the future of the turbulent adventures of this unpleasant crazy horse please leave a “thumbs up” or a comment. I am sure Maelstrom will be more than happy to continue causing a maelstrom of trouble at the KK Coral.

Arabian horses are so ethereal in their beauty they don’t even look real.

Those dragon like arched necks, delicate dished faces, little teacup noses and refined features are hard to resist.

All horses are beautiful in their own way and although I paint other breeds I seem to gravitate to the Arabian horses with their exaggerated angelic beauty. .

The Arabian horse breed developed in the desert and the horses often lived right in the tents with their humans as cherished family members promoting intense bonding.

This is why Arabian horses tend to be sweet and fun-loving in their personalities, kind of like big puppy dogs.

Their keen intelligence, willingness to please, and sensitivity require that they be handled with kindness, competence, and respect from their owners.

As I have said before, my art isn’t just about horses.  It is about strength of spirit.  I choose the image of the horse to symbolize this.

My Arabian horse paintings are not portraits and they lean toward the abstract, but they are definitely influenced by images of horses in real life and in my imagination.

My most recent paintings shown in the above video were inspired by my favorite Egyptian Arabian horse, “Imperial Baarez”.

It has been said many times that he is a “once in a lifetime horse” and what I believe to be

“the most beautiful horse in the world”.

I first became aware of Baarez when a remarkable woman “Beverly Sziraky” who was his trainer, friend, and manager of “Imperial Egyptian Stud” farm in Maryland, came into the Kinghale Gallery  www.kinghalegallery.com on Main Street in Sarasota Florida many years ago.

She was enamored by an art gallery filled with majestic ethereal paintings of Arabian horses.

She told me all about Baarez and shared stories with me about this very special horse and later sent me videos of Baarez and other horses that were so breath-taking I got goose bumps every time I watched them.  “Imperial Baarez” now lives in the lap of luxury in Egypt at El Farida Stud where he is greatly cherished, but I still keep up with him. His beloved friend Beverly is gone now but I am sure the love she bestowed on him will be with him always. I am forever grateful to Beverly for introducing and sharing such a once in a lifetime treasure with me.

Imperial Baarez will always inspire me.  He is the wind, the snow, the sand, the rain, and the most beautiful ethereal white cloud in the sky, the kind with the brightest silver lining spun of sunlight from the heavens.

Here is a short video of Baarez.

If you are a Star Trek Voyager fan and remember the episode where for a split second Seven of Nine catches a glimpse of “perfection”; this is what it is like watching this 68 second video. It may take a minute to load but it is the stuff dreams are made of.

http://artistkarenking.com/ImperialBaarezmovie

I hope you have enjoyed meeting one of my inspirations, I think we all have those special people and animals or their works that have inspired us to create something wonderful, or do something wonderful we might not normally have done.  Take a minute to post a comment and tell everyone reading this blog what has inspired you in your life or in your endeavors…you never know it may just inspire greatness in those reading your story.  Inspire a lot of people by sending this out on Facebook and Twitter .