Karen Hewitt Hagan:An American Impressionist

Acclaimed Charleston painter Karen Hewitt Hagan is the subject of a new art book titled Karen Hewitt Hagan: An American Impressionist. Published by Morton Arts Media, this richly illustrated coffee table book showcases 60 recent oil paintings from Hagan's plein air painting excursions to the Abaco Islands, Italy and throughout the southeastern United States. The introduction was written by Michelle Morton, an arts writer and publicist for nationally and internationally known artists. The book s pages chronicle Hagan s intrepid experiences as a professional artist and a live-aboard boater. Readers will get a glimpse into the unconventional life of this South Carolina painter as she lives and works with her husband and her miniature pincher, Fang, aboard a 53-foot classic motor vessel. Many of the images in the book were painted in Hagan's art studio on the aft deck of the couple s yacht, or completed en plein air (out-of-doors) at her easel on wind-swept Abaco beaches or atop the fabled hills of Tuscany. In the Artist s Notes section, Hagan shares with readers intriguing anecdotes about her life as a professional artist who often paints and teaches in unusual and far flung locales. When painting themes from ancient Italian villages, Hagan recalls, some of my most vivid memories of Tuscany were of the age-old buildings with their viridian green window shutters set against the yellow ochre walls. Such a riot of colors! Occasionally, I d see a line of clothes outside the shutters. The whites of all that luscious laundry would always catch my eye. Of course, the clean clothes weren't really pure white, but rather reflected all the surrounding vibrant colors of a Tuscan hillside. With the hand of an artist and the heart of a daring seafarer, Hagan brings home the beauty and emotional awe of her travels through pages filled with evocative artwork, color-laden brushwork and vivid narratives. For those who share Hagan's passions for art, adventure and the open ocean, Karen Hewitt Hagan: An American Impressionist is sure to make an outstanding addition to any coffee table collection.