Coffee with Karen Jilly. I was introduced to Karen in 2015 through a mutual friend. She was looking to hire a graphic designer to work with in designing and producing a retrospective catalogue of her fine art. We immediately hit it off. If you know Karen you realize how easy that is to do. She has an authentic kindness and warm attentiveness for others. With ease, a conversation with Karen covers a broad range of topics from life experiences, family, food, movies, TV shows and the world of art. Karen is a wife, mother and doting grandmother. She is gracious, attentive and one of the most kindhearted people I’ve met in some time.
Her artwork is dynamic, intriguing, chaotic, and bold with a certain sublime beauty that takes hold of the viewer. As an artist, I find myself in awe of her technical skills and depth of her work. There’s a slight paradox between meeting Karen and seeing her imperious work of freeways, underpasses, fences, barbwire and a fun series of colorful sunflowers. In her words she sees her cityscapes as metaphors for passing through life. Hope. Struggle. Grace. Fragility. Complexity.
Karen is a beautiful person, I am grateful to call her a friend. I so enjoy our occasional chats over a cup of coffee. Please check out her work, hopefully you will be as pleased and fascinated as I am.
Coffee at Cartell Coffee Lab in Old Town Scottsdale.
http://karenjilly.com/
http://www.cartelcoffeelab.com
Great article and great lady!!!