I’M KARIN GIANNINI

I was raised in Phoenix, Arizona by parents who were teachers. They moved us to Phoenix in 1961 from Chicago when I was one year old. I’m eternally grateful for that move, because growing up in the Sonoran desert has been such a blessing. The sun, the aromas, the animals and those gorgeous Arizona sunsets!

I attended Arizona State University where I received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering in 1999. This I achieved after raising a daughter as a single Mom and working hard to move up the corporate ladder so that I could provide for my child. Although I pursued a very linear career path earlier in life, I have always had a strong creative side. I love interior design and architecture. I love bold color and I notice how form and lighting affects how I feel in a space. This really fascinates me.

After I retired in 2016 from engineering, I discovered I had an interest in drawing, painting, collage, and art journaling. I journaled, took online art courses, and after ten years, I wondered what the point was. I wasn’t improving as an artist. I am the type of person who needs to continuously grow. What was my purpose now that raising my child and a career were behind me?   

The summer of 2024, I had an epiphany. I said to myself, “if I’m going to spend the next five years of my life doing what I’ve been doing the past five, I’m literally going to shrivel up and fade away, and that’s not going to work for me.” I had to evolve. I wanted more out of my art, drawing, painting, and interior design. Literally, the next day, in September 2024, the heavens parted and I found Elli Milan. She told me anyone could learn to paint. I believed her because I believe in ME. On October 1, 2024, I began the Mastery Program at Milan Art Institute and hit the grounding running. THIS PROGRAM CHANGED MY LIFE AT 65 YEARS OLD!!! After 10 years of art, this program is what allowed me turn the corner HARD!

If you would like to LEARN MORE about MILAN ART INSTITUTE click here.

I have been at the easel nearly every day since then, and have grown by leaps and bounds! My artistic style is Abstract Realism, which is an interpretation of something real that, when I paint it, dissipates into abstraction. I am known for the overlay of women, silhouettes and nature combining bold color and high contrast while revealing six decades of myself on each canvas. I dig deep inside myself to explore my experiences.  To discover the path that has led me to the ultimate self expression. I am particularly interested in revealing the strength of the feminine psyche, because that’s what I know. Our common relationship with ourselves and our environments. I paint women because I’m drawn to, and I believe that all women are bound by a thread that doesn’t connect to our men. Although, we love our men, we are bound to them differently. I like to include birds, bugs, the forest, flowing streams and animals in my paintings. My connection with the outdoors has shaped who I am. 

NOTE: Be sure to search for silhouettes that I may been creatively hidden in each of my paintings. It’s fun!!!