Karaus Wins OPA Gold
from Cincinnati Art Club's Dragonfly
MaryBeth Karaus’ exquisite floral still life painting now sits at the very top of this year’s OPA National Competition. If you spin the clock back to April 5th at Mark Arts Gallery in Kansas City, you will see MaryBeth jumping and filled with emotion. She was there at the Award Ceremony with her two daughters when host juror Sherrie McGraw announced that the best painting was her Center of Attraction. Gold indeed! It came with a gold medal around her neck and a check for $25,000.
Interview with MaryBeth Karaus
by John Pototschnik, January 10, 2021
MaryBeth Karaus is a fabulous still life painter. Her paintings are beautifully composed, excellently drawn, emotionally compelling, exquisitely harmonious in color, and sensitively executed. You can tell I am a fan. I first came across Karaus’ work when I was asked to judge the Oil Painters of America Wet Painting Competition held last September. The annual event, part of OPA’s National Juried Exhibition, is always a popular event. Over a two day period during the national event, artists were invited to create paintings outdoors or in the studio, but only from life. Because of the virus situation, the Wet Paint Competition was expanded to include a Plein Air, Studio, and an Open Division. Plein Air, was for those works done entirely outside before the subject. Studio works were created from life in the studio. The Open Division was open to all international artists and non-OPA members. All paintings had to be completed totally from life without the use of photography. Artist’s were allowed to submit just one piece for judging. There were just over 200 entries to consider. I spent considerable time studying all the images, and the awards were presented via Zoom.
Intention vs. Inspiration
by MaryBeth Karaus, OPA Blog
Early in the fall when life was humming along normally, I had some well-educated and well-connected women tour my studio. One of the women raised her hand to ask a question. She said, “I don’t know much about art, but I would like to know what comes first, inspiration or intention?” I am not one to think quickly on her feet, so I fumbled and mumbled some sort of response. I have been tossing this question around in my head for the last nine months. The reason I find it so important is that each one of us has our own unique way of creating our paintings. Taking a few steps back and analyzing our process might help us in the future when we seem to get stuck or have a block.
MaryBeth Karaus Finds Excitement in Composing and Beauty in Design
by Gussie Fauntleroy, Southwest Art Magazine, October 15, 2018
MaryBeth Karaus remembers wondering, through most of her five years in the design, architecture, art and planning program at the University of Cincinnati, whether she was on the wrong track. She loved the painting electives, but for her major she had chosen graphic design. It was supposed to be a ticket into the art-related job market, yet she kept thinking, “This is not me. This is not what I do best. Painting is what I want to do!” As it turned out, her graphic-design skills were put to good use. Following graduation, Karaus (pronounced CARE-us) and her then-husband opened a bookstore in Lexington, KY, and for five years she served as the business’s marketing department, creating book catalogs and other promotional materials. Still later, the value of design became even more apparent as an essential part of her approach to fine art.