ACT III - GETTING THERE
In an Act III, obstacles are removed, conflicts often get resolved, storylines wrapped up. And sometimes - a happy ending. Karen Morgenstern's Act III signifies a return to her work as an artist - began in her teens and suspended in 1975 after earning a BA in art history from UC Santa Barbara. Two art instructors stand out from her college years - Ralph Gilbert in Santa Barbara and Matsumi Kanemitsu at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles.
She spent the 1980s and '90s working as a production coordinator of feature films (Act I). Years later, after three children, she earned an MA in Education, two teaching credentials and became a school librarian (Act II). Karen spent two decades immersed in the world of children's literature, teaching elementary school children how to do research and encouraging them to fall in love with books.
All this time she indulged her love of color--began in her parents' paint store pouring over paint chips each day after preschool. After finishing college, she spent six months working in the Office of Charles and Ray Eames, observing where the highest bar of design standards and creative thinking can lead. When working on films, the best part was watching the sets being fabricated from diligent research and craftsmanship. As a consummate librarian, she generously incorporated children's books about art movements and artists into many facets of teaching. Her love of picture books and the art of illustration spilled over into the hearts and minds of her students. Even her kindergartners could identify the color periwinkle.
She resumed her work as an artist in 2017, and a few years later left her librarian career to paint full-time.
Karen lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband of 39 years.
Check back frequently as Act III unfolds.
CONTACT
kamorgenstern@gmail.com