Raven and Bowl of Cherries Painting

 

Copyright 2026 by Sheryl Karas

A funny thing happened the same week as the show at MONCA I wrote about in my last blog post. I suddenly decided to change direction with my artwork, at least for now.

I recently retired from my full-time job. That was unexpected—my choice but a year or two earlier than I planned. But things changed there, I wasn't willing to go along with those changes, and now here I am a "free bird." It's been a bit of a shock, but little bit by little bit I realized that I'm going to be alright. So now the thought is "what am I going to do with my life?" now that I have time and I'm no longer working like crazy to "make a living." 

I also don't need to please art teachers or art critics or nose-in-the-air level art galleries. I don't even have to get into museum shows (even though that has been nice). So what kind of art do I want to do? What kind of art do I want to live with? And the answer that came pretty much immediately was fun whimsical stuff that makes me smile. 

If I think about it, that is the kind of art that made me want to be an artist—the art I would see in my favorite children's books. I'm not sure I can let myself get that kid-friendly today but it doesn't matter. I liked things that were bright and colorful and that made me laugh or smile. The same thing is true today! So why not go there? Life could be a bowl of cherries, right?

The original for this is the smallest painting I have ever done as an adult— 8"x8" on canvas. I like it that size. It's very accessible and I don't have to worry about where it will fit in my house. I might sell it—you can ask. Or you can get a print, framed print, or print on canvas at Fine Art America.

Small Wonders Show at the Museum of Northern California Art

I am very excited to be participating in the "Small Wonders" show at MONCA (The Museum of Northern California Art) here in Chico. MONCA is a wonderful art museum and they have beautifully curated juried shows featuring work from the Sacramento and the Bay Area and north. So I am always thrilled when I get into one of them and this time I have three pieces! Those are the three a person at the reception was looking at above.

The Small Wonders show features "work inspired by the beauty, mystery, and significance of the microscopic, the miniature, and the overlooked. This exhibition offers an opportunity to magnify the unnoticed and reveal worlds within worlds." The exhibition is currently on display and will continue through May 3rd at 900 Esplanade in Chico, CA.

Abstract Geometric Quilt

I worked on this last night and this morning. It's made from several of my photographs and previous art pieces layered together in numerous ways in Photoshop. It's VERY fun and engaging to do because surprises happen and sometimes that's the best part! All of the pieces in this are botanical subject matter. It feels to me like the workings of the cosmos.

Prints and prints on canvas and various other materials are available on Fine Art America.

My Painting is Going to Be Shown at MONCA

 

I'm bringing this painting to MONCA (Museum of Northern California Art) today. It got accepted into a show about artwork that sends a message. It's called "They Came With Little More Than Their Hopes and Dreams" and it is dedicated to my immigrant grandmother who loved creepy dolls and marionettes with big eyes. I think of immigrants now as puppets in political drama so that's part of the message.

Desert Bunch Grass Abstract

I decided to reach back into the archives of photos I took in the Arizona high desert, probably 15-16 years ago.  There wasn't a lot of vegetation where we lived besides Juniper trees and  little bunches of grass that waved wildly in the wind. Layered over a colorful background, Nature's work creates an interesting abstract painting effect, but this is a photographic piece with a couple of digital effects. Prints are available on Fine Art America.

Raven Dreams of a Brighter Tomorrow

 

I know that I improvise using this bird on a rail a lot. I relate to this bird looking out into the horizon. I want to know what he or she thinks about or dreams of flying off to do. This is multi-layer digital collage combining several images in unusual ways.

Prints and prints on various surfaces are available on FineArt America.

Bird Abstract Botanical

 

This is the same series as the last two posts. I used the same images I used in the first two but layered them in different ways, and then put a bird on it just for fun.

Prints and prints on various surfaces are available on Fine Art America.

Abstract Botanical

 

Because I use so many images layered multiple times with different layering effects, the number of potential choices I could make at times seems infinite. Often it boils down to what mood I'm in. Do I want to see something almost realistic? Something more abstract expressionist like this one? Or something in between? This piece uses the same images as the last one I posted on this blog. But in this one I was attracted to the almost chaotic but quite deliberate effects that occur when the same images are used multiple times. Deliberate in terms of making specific choices based on hunches and wanting to shift what doesn't work for me, but also with the desire to be surprised and delighted. And that's when I call it "good."

This is all done digitally but prints and prints on various surfaces are available on Fine Art America.

Blue and Orange Flower Abstraction

 

I probably did 20 versions of this idea tonight, some so surreal you wouldn't recognize them as starting with the same floral subject matter. I might work up a few of those as final pieces as well. It's multiple layer photography with multiple images and patterns combined, some images used multiple times with different layer effects in Photoshop. It got crazy in my laptop art studio tonight!

Prints and prints on a variety of surfaces are available on Fine Art America.

Tree Frogs and Lilies

 

I'm having fun combining some of my old photos with new elements. And for some reason I want everything bright and saturated these days. That's probably been mostly true forever but especially now. I broke out of my foreboding raven stage and decided to use all the colors in my crayon box!

Prints and prints on a variety of surfaces are available on Fine Art America.