Written By Wendy Hobday Haugh | Photos provided by Karen Banovic
WATERCOLOR ARTIST
KAREN BANOVIC CAPTURES
THE WONDERS OF NATURE
After witnessing the haunting beauty and idyllic elegance of Karen Banovic’s watercolor paintings, one might easily assume the Ballston Spa artist has spent a lifetime perfecting her craft. But, incredibly, Banovic only began painting, matting, and framing her work after retiring from a 34-year career as a Ballston Spa Middle School science teacher in 2004.
“I’ve always loved art, all kinds of art,” says Banovic. ”Before I started painting, I did a lot of basket weaving and quilting. I’ve always been interested in the use of color and contrast. I tried oils and acrylics but couldn’t stand them. They were too tedious for me. But I absolutely loved watercolors! The loose way the colors blended together seemed to work best with my personality. I’m not a rigid or controlled person. I let things happen and can adapt to things pretty easily.”
Throughout her lengthy teaching career, Banovic’s adaptability served her well. “I always tried to work with my students’ individual personalities to find creative ways to spark their interest in science and the natural world. I really enjoyed the energy of middle school students. They could be a pain sometimes, sure, but I really liked their spirit and always tried to keep them active. They loved doing hands-on activities, so we did a lot of outdoor experiments. For example, I’d have them measure and map the stream that ran alongside our school, even measuring the rocks and the heights of trees and mapping them to scale. I enjoyed going outside with the kids and trying to involve them in different aspects of nature.”
Whether capturing the majesty of a mountain range, the mystery of our ever-changing seasons, or the delicate beauty of potted flowers, Banovic’s love of nature shines through in all her paintings. As she writes on her website, “Inspirations for my artwork often come from the natural world, music, social settings, and my imagination. The painting process can begin with a look out a window, viewing my photos, or letting my imagination take over. I visualize an emotion that I would want to convey in the final product.”
Karen Banovic grew up in South Glens Falls, the eldest of seven children. “My grandparents had a farm in Gansevoort,” she recalls, “where we spent a lot of time growing up. From an early age, I was interested in anything to do with science and nature.”
She graduated from South Glens Falls High School and attended Plattsburgh State College, where she majored in biology and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education. Upon graduating, she accepted her first, and only, teaching position at Ballston Spa Middle School and attained her permanent teaching certification through graduate work at Union College, Albany State, and Plattsburgh State. Later, after earning earth science certification from the College of St. Rose, she also taught NYS Regents Earth Science to accelerated middle school students.
An avid traveler, Banovic has journeyed throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. “My husband was in the special forces during the Vietnam War,” she explains, “so we wanted to go back and revisit that country.”
Inspired by her mother, who grew up in Norway, Banovic has been a lifelong skier. An avid hiker, she has hiked the 46 Adirondack High Peaks and the Northville-Lake Placid Trail. “My husband and I did the High Peaks with our two children when they were young. Later on, when I was teaching, toward the end of the school year I’d bring my earth science students on hikes in the Adirondacks. I figured they could learn more by hiking than they could in the classroom. Then, after retirement, my husband and I hiked all over Europe, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Norway, and France.”
Without question, Banovic’s memories and photographs of these amazing global adventures have provided endless inspiration for her work. The artist has held numerous solo exhibits, and her paintings have placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the Southern Saratoga Art Society’s juried shows and in juried shows held in Speculator and Hagaman. Over the years, she has participated in countless craft fairs and festivals as well.
“Gore Mountain’s Harvest Fest is one of my favorites,” she says. “I’ve participated in that one for years and done very well because people who know and love the area for its skiing and hiking often enjoy taking home a visual reminder of their experience.”
In September of 2023, Banovic established a website to serve as a storefront for displaying and selling her art. Over time, chronic hip pain had made it increasingly difficult for her to travel to her many shows and manage the arduous work of carrying and assembling her heavy tent and exhibits, then dismantling everything soon afterwards. Since skiing, hiking, and other outdoor activities she enjoyed were also negatively impacted, Banovic decided to undergo hip replacement surgery in February of 2024.
“Having my own website allows me to exhibit my work without all the heavy lifting. It also motivates me to keep producing new paintings. In starting up a website,” she adds, “I had so much to learn! It was like getting my college degree all over again.”
Whether at home in rural Ballston Spa, visiting her lakeside camp in Newcomb, or traveling the globe, artist Karen Banovic immerses herself in the natural world, savoring its many moods, capturing its ever-changing beauty, and inspiring others through her stunning art. “To this day,” she admits, “it still takes me by surprise whenever someone asks me if I’m an artist. I always have to stop and think about it a minute before replying, ‘Yes . . . I guess I am.’”
Visit Karen Banovic’s gallery at www.karenbanovic.com or contact her at
