Abstractionist Karen Dellinger wears her heart on her sleeve. She wears it around her neck and fingers, within the layered gold jewelry sparkling in the reflection of the South Texas sun, each ring and chain carrying its own distinct story. She holds it in the same hand as her paintbrush, her pieces all lovingly crafted. Whether shown at curated gallery shows or in the living room of any one of her lucky clients, with just one look, viewers feel cleansed in the serenity of every canvas.
Leaving behind the bustling San Antonio art scene she called home, Dellinger followed her husband Jamie to the quieter one out on the coast. The second her feet touched the sands of the Corpus beaches, she dug her toes deep and never left. Graced with the eyes of a newcomer at the time, she began to pull inspiration for her large-scale pieces from the waves and dunes, alongside the myriad vibrant textures that surround her in her everyday life. Dellinger’s well never dries in a city like this.
“I love living here,” she said. “The water is a huge inspiration for me, nature and the water. Every chance I get, I will drive on Ocean Drive so I can see the water. A day does not go by that I don’t drive on it just to look over there and be grateful for its beauty. People don’t realize we’re so fortunate to live here.”
Corpus Christi became home, Dellinger said, once she met Art Center Director Dianna Bluntzer Sherman. “Gorgeous Dianna,” as Dellinger described her, immediately adored Dellinger’s bubbling energy. Sherman knew Dellinger’s art would prove revolutionary in the local scene, and the two worked together to organize her first solo exhibition at the Art Center in 2014. Dellinger would go on to serve as the Art Center’s President of the Board of Governors throughout 2016. Once she found her people, falling in love with the city proved easy.
“It gives us [at the Art Center] such joy being able to empower these artists,” said Sherman. Regarding her time as board president, “[Dellinger] provided a very level head. She’s got that combination of being very lighthearted, but also being very intelligent and pragmatic. She helped get us where we are today.”
Known for the use of grandiose canvases, Dellinger discovered her love for oversized paintings after years of working as a muralist and wall artist in San Antonio. Experimenting with treatment techniques like lime wash and Venetian plaster gave her unique tools she later went on to apply to her own personal artistry. Though these specialized methods catch the eye of any abstract aficionado, a real Dellinger original radiates pure joy and peacefulness.
As Sherman put it, “everything about Karen is a smile.” She achieves this seemingly endless glow through what she describes as an essential part of her life—the importance of meditation, visualization and prayer. Before she sits down at a canvas, she goes through vital steps to ensure she approaches in the right headspace. When she feels blue with sadness or red with anger, though the colors may end up in her final piece, the emotions stay far from the canvas.
“Obviously, there’s sadness sometimes,” she explained. “I just try so hard to look at it and think ‘It’s going to be okay, we can figure this out.’ I believe it’s all about energy. I want my mood to be contagious, and hopefully it’s a positive, wonderful feeling.
“When I stand at a piece of art, I try to visualize wonderful things,” she continued, “whether it’s nature, whether it’s my blessings or my beautiful family. Whatever it might be, I try to go there. I would never want somebody to look at my piece and think it’s chaos.”
Currently splitting time among her commissioned pieces, her real estate work and her personal life, Dellinger remains busy and active. She avoids burnout thanks to her perfectly crafted home on Ocean Drive, across the street from the water she loves and uses for inspiration. Her real estate work in Port Aransas also means interacting with excited prospective homeowners and engaging with the beachfront daily. From these places, she pulls all the material she needs to come home and pour herself onto a brand-new canvas.
“Everything I look at, I can relate to something I could use in a painting,” she said. “Whether as inspiration, as texture or color, or even just a mindset. I wish everybody could see the world like I see it, and find that beauty everywhere. That’s part of being an artist, sharing that vision.”
