Alumna has art ‘links’
After Tiger Woods wins a golf event, he might have a desire to go out and paint the town red.
When UW-Green Bay graduate and artist Karen J. Lee has a brush in her hand, she has a desire to go out and paint the courses Tiger plays on with “soft fresh tones and bold lines of action.”
Lee, a class of ’95 graduate with an Interdisciplinary Studies degree, creates original works of art depicting some of the most famous golf courses and golf holes in the world. In her impressionistic style, she has captured the essence of such courses as Pebble Beach, Augusta, Hilton Head, and Wisconsin’s own Whistling Straits.
Lee in her studio with other course paintings. Whistling Straits is pictured above.
Her large oil paintings — 24-by-36-inch canvas — are being released for exhibit at galleries, museums and country clubs, and are being reproduced for sale to golf enthusiasts.
She chose to focus on PGA golf art because of her love of the game and the “mini-vacation escapes” the course landscapes have to offer.
”It’s like an adventure each time a golfer explores the spellbinding course designs,” she said. “Artistically, I’ve aligned myself with, Matisse, Monet, Gauguin, Picasso, who are all examples of exploration and lasting touches to our creative soul.”
In addition to painting golf courses, Lee also has a Fields and Barns collection, Water Views, and a Cottage Garden collection.
Lee says her works “reflect a 20th-century modernism, combined with the French impressionistic feel… (and are) characterized by an abstract, impressionist look, in soft fresh tones with often bold lines of action.”
Her artwork has been featured in galleries, tourist travel locations, interior design stores and airports. The paintings are also popular with Door County tourists, she says. Lee has run a studio in Fish Creek for two seasons.
Lee, who now lives in Wausau, got her start in painting and creating art while she was already involved in the corporate world. She started taking courses at UW-Green Bay part time and sessions at various studios and workshops to hone her skills. Now, a majority of her time is spent in her studio.
“Partial devotion to several objectives and responsibilities is a slower course to take. However, most students today find that a necessity,” she says. “It is pure joy to find your niche and place accented emphasis on it.”
Click here to visit Karen J. Lee’s website.
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