Peri Karkheck

A Rockland County resident for 35 years, Peri Karkheck earned a B.S. in Art Education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, and an M.A. in Creative Art from Lehman College, with a concentration in printmaking (etching). She has studied watercolor with Carolyn Pedersen, NWS, among others. She retired from teaching art in the Clarkstown Central School District in Rockland County for 34 years. She has several solo shows, and has exhibited in numerous group shows.
As a native of Long Island, she spent many years boating on the beautiful waters of the East End. She developed a love of light reflecting on the water and land. This has been translated into watercolor through the use of intense color, clean surfaces, and stark shapes.
“Although one could say that I am a realist painter, I don’t think of myself that way. Painting, for me, is not so much about real objects. It’s about the interplay of the shapes of the objects I see and, most importantly, how I can play with color, creating something that, to my eye, is more abstract. I simplify the shapes, and use color in a bold, exaggerated, manner. I like dramatic shifts in value - extreme darks next to the lightest lights creating a luminous quality. I love the light that shines through the paper.
In spite of the boldness of color, I still hope that the viewer comes away with a feeling of quiet solitude.”

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