Tag Archives: new artwork by Karen Tashkovski

Tash Loves Trees

I am very pleased to announce that I have just returned from installing my art exhibition (and sale) at the East Syracuse Free Library (4990 James Street, East Syracuse, New York 13057).

My series of two dozen encaustic trees are here, as well as two dozen heart paintings.  All are encaustic and collage.  Stands are not included in the price of the work.

This show will be on display during May and June 2026.

Current hours of operation:

Monday – Thursday 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Fridays 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturdays 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Arcadia 2 (encaustic targets 2025)

Karen Tashkovski, SPINNING, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, JOY, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, ENCHANTMENT, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard

Welcome to the new and improved versions of these paintings.  I created them last year with the intention that they would be sold with a mission style table easel.  I’m going to keep the easels to assist with future library art shows and/or to display my work if I ever have another opportunity for an indoor art sale like the one I participated in at that Jamesville, New York whiskey bar.

Karen Tashkovski, PROMISE, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, UTOPIA, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard

They look so much better in these fabulous frames.  I am in love with them!  They are encaustic & collage targets, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8″ x 10″ chalkboard.

Karen Tashkovski, RELEASE, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard

I reworked some of them.  I added gold enamel.  I changed out collage materials.  I used my fingers to smudge in metallic cold waxes.

I thought they were done before, but once they were in the frames, I felt like they could be elevated via these tweaks.

Karen Tashkovski, THE BEST MOMENT, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard

The dream is to sell them as a group.  Someone could install them on a wall as one giant piece or maybe they could place them on a long hallway wall in a business office.

Karen Tashkovski, ENTRANCE, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard

I think this is the vision I have for all of my artwork.  I create series of paintings with the intention that they be introduced to the world together as a unit, as a presentation much like a fashion show reveals a seasonal collection of clothing.  I love this idea, that an idea expands to however many paintings brings it to fruition.

It’s always at least a dozen paintings of the same dimensions.  In this case, there are two dozen.

Karen Tashkovski, BLISSFULLY, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, EVERYTHING, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, LOTUS LAND, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, WONDERLAND, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, JEWELS, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, DREAMLAND, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, FLORIDA, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, VISUALIZATION, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, EUPHORIA, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, HOLLYWOOD, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, FIRST OF ALL, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, MEXICO, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, SHANGRI-LA, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, WARMTH, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on. 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, TRAILS, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard
Karen Tashkovski, ILLUMINATION, 2025, encaustic & collage, 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8” x 10” chalkboard

Professional Artist @ Work

Karen Tashkovski, “ CAMARADERIE “, 2017, 11” x 14”, encaustic & collage

Penny came by today to collect my painting, CAMARADERIE.  She’s going to deliver it for me.  The new art exhibition at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts, Women. Art. Voices., begins next week with a reception on March 6th, 2026 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.  The show runs through March 28th.

Karen Tashkovski, SCHMETTERLING, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, PEPERUTKA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, PILI PALA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″

On Friday, I dropped off my butterfly paintings for the exhibition at Art Haus Syracuse.  The show starts on Saturday, February 28th, 2026, which is also the date of the art reception – February 28, 2026 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM.  That show ends on April 4th.

So, I have two art shows in March.  I will have a solo show at East Syracuse Free Library during May and June 2026.  I’ll be displaying my new encaustic trees series at that show.

Today I started working on another set of encaustic heart paintings.  I created a new heart stencil.  They are 5″ x 7″ and I am planning to mount them onto 8″ x 10″ chalkboard.

What you are seeing here – not done!  No – this is just first passes of color plus the colorful rice papers and origami papers.

What I’m loving right now is how they are both familiar and fresh/new.  I have enough colors to fill five pancake griddles.  When I first started with encaustics, I only had one griddle!  The devices I add to my paintings has also expanded so this series is different, challenging and so fun!  I love making them and I love love. <3

Karen Tashkovski, PAPILLON, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, FARFALLA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, BUTTERFLY, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″

Encaustic Crowns (2012/2026)

Karen Tashkovski, CROWNING GLORY, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, THE LUCKY ONE, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, COIN PRINCESS, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage

While taking a course in encaustic painting at Syracuse University in 2012, I created these paintings.  This week, I revisited them and decided to remove them from their larger chalkboard mounts to hardboard cradle mounts.

I also wanted these 9″ x 12″ paintings to reflect the devices I’d used in the 8″ x 8″ crown series I completed last month, adding embroidery floss, ribbon, more playing cards and checkers, as well as cold wax accents and enamel paint.

Karen Tashkovski, WEDDING CROWN, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, ROYAL GAMER, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage

I love that these paintings have a luster that comes with age.  Time allows the wax to strengthen and the result is a marvelous sheen that only needs a bit of gentle buffing.

There are eleven paintings here because the one I’d titled Modern Pharoah is MIA.  In my attempt to locate it, I found other things and made a note to self to take a day and reorganize my art storage and material storage.

Will Modern Pharoah materialize so that I can resurrect it?  (No coincidences)

Karen Tashkovski, VALENTINA, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, FOR JASPER, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, ORANGE JACK, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, QUEEN, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, NAVY KING, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, MONARCH, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, MODERN PHAROAH, 2012/2026, 9” x 12”, encaustic & collage

The Lotus Series (Part 2)

Karen Tashkovski, Liberty, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Freesia, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Perennial, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Legend, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Patience, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Iris, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Depth, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Anemone, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Bluemarine, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Violet, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Persistence, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Poppy, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Ritual, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Emblem, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Milkweed, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Reward, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Bergamot, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Thistle, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Energy, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Femininity, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Autobiography, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Visitor, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Lily Pad, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Royalty, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Keynote, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Honeysuckle, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Snapdragon, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Nature, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Tiger Lily, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Gem, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Transformation, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Elegance, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Chance, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Dreamy, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, Visionary, 2025, encaustic & collage
Karen Tashkovski, The Light, 2025, encaustic & collage

More Flowers In Progress

This is happening….

Thirty-six more paintings are currently in progress!  I’ve created twelve more stencils, traced them onto the beeswax prepped hardboards and added the paper collage component to all of them.  I introduced Monopoly money to this series.  Using game pieces in my artwork is my favorite device.