Karol Hilker

Art has been the joy and focus of my life. I received a BFA in Fine Arts and a BS in Art Education from the University of TN, Knoxville.

As a full-time artist, I am constantly exploring the world around me, learning, observing, and connecting through creative expression. I believe art is not just about what we see, but how we feel, remember, and relate. My work reflects our shared human experience, how we move through joys and struggles, how the world leaves marks on us, and how we leave marks in return.

I work in layers of color, texture, and drips to mirror the complexity of life. I use vibrant hues to celebrate joy, and nature-based tones to ground the work in the quiet strength and stability the natural world offers. Each mark is intentional, a record of a moment or feeling, built over time like the stories we carry with us.

I create using acrylics, oils, alcohol inks, and watercolor, each medium bringing its own energy and voice to the canvas. Whether I’m plein air painting, capturing the essence of a person at an event, or working in my St. Petersburg studio, I am most inspired by the way people respond to my work. Hearing what others see or feel in my paintings is one of the greatest gifts of being an artist.

My art has been shown in juried exhibitions and solo and group shows across the U.S., and it lives in homes and businesses nationally and internationally. I invite viewers to find their own stories in the layers, colors, and marks, because art is a conversation.

Three series have remained central to my work for more than forty years. The first grows from my journal sketches and explores the human experience. Through figures, drips, marks, and layers of color, I express the emotions, challenges, and resilience we all share. I often cut into the canvas, sew it back together, and incorporate mirrors to represent the scars of life and the beauty found in healing.

A second series focuses on painting people gathered at a single event. Their faces are painted in shades of green, unifying them as a community while still honoring their individuality. Through these works, I capture a moment in time shared by real people experiencing it together.

The third series includes plein air landscapes and animals created with bold color, expressive marks, and an energetic sense of place. Each of these series fulfills a different part of my creative voice, and I feel deeply committed to continuing all of them.

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You can see more of my work at Hilkerstudio.com, Instagram @KarolHilker, and at my studio in Artmosphere.  A vibrate space of 15 studio artist and an event space. Join us for third Fridays open studios!

On this site you will see many, but not all of my work. I am creating everyday so there are always new developments because I would rather be in the studio than on the computer!

Use the QR code to go to my Instagram to see my latest work