Karen Barela

Inspired by found objects, I create mixed media collages. In particular, I love the graphics used in craft-beer packaging and I incorporate these images and words onto found surfaces. By dissecting, separating and rearranging the graphics from their original function, my art communicates a whole new message. As a huge fan of craft beer and its rich history of independence, camaraderie and an ‘age-old-art’, these graphics are a natural fit to become my “paint.” The fresh and innovative feel of the graphics influence my art to be vibrant, fun and funky. I hope to extend the experience of sharing a beer with friends to include the charm and innuendo of re-purposing and up-cycling items that would typically be discarded. Karen Barela has a B.A. with an emphasis in Sculpture from the California State University, Fullerton, and an M.B.A from the University of Colorado, Denver. She creates out of Studio 5.5 in Boulder, Colorado.