Karen Chang Art - Karen Chang

I paint primarily in oil on gallery-wrapped canvas, in sizes ranging from 24"x30" to 48"x60". My process begins with digital composition, where I layer reference photography, symbolic elements, and abstract passages to plan each piece. On canvas, I build mixed-media underlayers using acrylic, ink, spray paint, oil pastel, and collage. These layers add texture, movement, and unexpected color. I then bring the figure forward in oil, working in classical layers - underpainting, mid-tones, then refined detail. The final result blends realism and abstraction within a single painting, with rendered figures emerging from gestural, layered backgrounds.