ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings toe the line between surrealism and realism by exploring the interaction between the human figure and its surroundings. My art usually features a female figure within water or enclosed by nature in a surreal way. I delve deeper into the relationship between humans and natural elements by depicting the human figure in a way that represents ideas, patterns, and emotions.
Viewers connect to my work by relating to the emotion of the subject or the contents of the painting’s surroundings. By using bold, highly saturated colors in most of my work, I convey the relationship between my subjects. Every painting has its own sense of identity and feeling that the viewer can connect with. All of my work is an exploration of feeling and ingenuity. I focus on the face as this is the primary conduit of human emotion. Bringing to life the feeling and raw visceral passion of my work by utilizing unique gestures and brush strokes, I paint with a strong emotion that manifests itself in my art.
ABOUT
Karlie Tankersley was born and raised in Jackson, TN. She focuses on oil painting in her work, but has interest in various other art mediums. She holds a fine art degree with a minor in entrepreneurship at Middle Tennessee State University. Her recent work is focused on bringing something extraordinary to this mundane world. For example, she has been working on a body of work connecting the soul to a simple fruit, the strawberry. Karlie is an active member in her local art community, where she regularly participates in numerous art shows and vending events. Her art has been published in several magazines, including Mesmer Vol. 2 and the Murfreesboro Pulse newspaper. Tankersley’s art has also been exhibited in Brooklyn, NY at The Living Gallery. She continuously following her passion of being a full time artist and has owned Kool Karlie for almost 2 years.