Fine Art

YogaPainter exhibits at 2019 Continuum in Downtown West Palm Beach

The 2019 Continuum Pop-up Art Exhibit runs from January 10 -19, 2019. This year it is located at 426 Clematis Street, WPB, FL. Please visit to see my 5 foot tall YogaPainter piece, EKA PADA RAJAKAPOTASANA REFLECT. Contact me, if you’d like me to meet you at the gallery. The show contains about 8+ terrific pieces of art by Florida. #WPBARTS #CONTINUUM

Kenny and Buddy and Now Kenny and Debby

When Kenny was about 11 years old, I was commissioned by his parents to paint his portrait. We decided to include Kenny’s beloved cat, Buddy, in the painting.

Now, 20 years later, I have once again painted Kenny and his beloved…this time, his soon-to-be wife, Debby. I am so happy for Debby and Kenny and thrilled to be included in their celebration at the end of June.

Imperial Frame Gallery helped me select a pale cream-colored silk mat, simple, contemporary frame and best of all…museum-quality plexiglas so that the piece could be shipped to Philadelphia without breaking, while maintaining the clearest possible view with anti-glare and UV protection.  In my excitement to ship the wedding gift, I neglected to take a photo of the framed piece, but Kenny and Debby were kind enough to send me one (see below). Thanks!

Upon receiving the artwork, Kenny wrote, “Thank you so much for the portrait – we love it! Definitely one of our favorite gifts.”

Thought provoking post hiatus

I have been on hiatus from posting on Facebook and my CarenHackman.com and YogaPainter.com sites. Even though, in my professional life as a graphic designer, I do plenty of posting for others, I’ve taken some time from personal posting. It’s been a time of learning, observing and contemplating. Starting the posting break was not intentional. In retrospect, I believe that it has been a healthy experience.

Having the time off to be quietly observant and learn has been a pleasurable luxury. During April and part of May I visited Israel and Prague and read several books.

Me, photographed with the Franz Kafka memorial sculpture

In Israel, I spent time enjoying my family and then traveled to Prague with them. There I learned more about Alphonse Mucha and Franz Kafka. I spent time in the Jewish quarter and learned that the well-preserved artifacts from synagogues throughout Europe were in Prague because Hitler had planned to use the city as a site for his Museum of an Extinct Race. The quarter is located where the Jewish ghetto was located beginning during the 13^th century.

A memorial to the writer, Franz Kafka, by artist, Jaroslav Róna stands near hisbirthplace, next to the beautifully decorated Spanish Synagogue. Franz Kafka was born and lived in the Josefov section of Prague for most of his life. It is amazing how many layers of history of different religious and ethnic groups of people exist in Prague. Throughout my visit, I was treated to many fantastical folklore stories based thinly on “real” history of some of these groups of people.

I was especially interested in seeing a progression of commercial work by Mucha because, like me, he worked as both a graphic artist and fine artist. The Art Gallery of Prague had a wonderful retrospective of his work that included the poster of Sara Bernhardt, starring in Gismonda, that brought him his first taste of fame, as well as other commercial and fine art pieces, such as his Monaco Monte Carlo poster.

Congrats to Aidan for Best in Show

I’d like to congratulate my talented student, Aidan Skolnick for winning a Best in Show ribbon at this year’s ArtiGras festival in Jupiter, Florida. Aidan has been coming to my studio for just under two years for art lessons. I had the joy of watching this wonderful, mixed-media, piece depicting acrobats unfold over a three week period. Aidan is currently working on a piece inspired by Antoni Gaudí’s nature forms.

Welcome to YogaPainter

Many of you know me personally, or through my art and design work. Yoga has been an integral part of my life since November 2010. I have only recently brought these two passions together, in a personal passion project of mine.

I’d like to introduce you to yogapainter.com, my online store, your source for yoga artworks and gifts.

My first GIVEAWAY!

From time to time I’ll be extending special offers to newsletter subscribers and Facebook fans. Please SUBSCRIBE to the YogaPainter newsletter, than visit YogaPainter on Facebook to find out how you can win a package of note cards or a Yoga Expressions 13″ x 19″ scroll.

At YogaPainter you can order Yoga Portraits, Yoga Expressions and note cards.

Yoga Portraits are hand painted original portraits on artist canvas. Great care is taken not only to capture likeness, but also to express the light within every painting subject.

Yoga Expressions are digital paintings. Instead of using a brush directly on canvas, I draw and paint with a digital tablet and stylus. The artworks are printed with high quality archival inks on artist canvas. No two are exactly the same. Each is customized for you, either digitally, or by hand and paint brush.

Both the Yoga Portraits and Yoga Expressions are sent to you ready-to-hang, Asian scroll style. They have wood dowelsupports along the top and bottom edges and hang from a cord. If you prefer to have the an alternative hanging method, please let me know and we’ll make every effort to accommodate you.

Yoga painter and more

I’ve been on an unintentional hiatus from this blog since the summer when I had a solo show at Art on Park in Lake Park, Florida. I’ve been very busy working on so many new and fulfilling projects. In addition to wonderful graphic design clients with whom I have the pleasure of working regularly, and a trip to Europe, my yoga based artwork has been keeping me busy (and joyful).  I am excited, too, that one of my yoga artwork paintings, SG Child Pose, was accepted into a show at the Art Gallery of Viera in Melbourne, Florida.

SG- Child Pose, acrylic on canvas, 29″ x 25″

In the early part of 2017, I plan to open an online store for yoga artworks and gifts.  Check back here for that big announcement towards the end of 2016.

Please visit my Facebook page to vote for your top choice of a card design chosen from the three designs.  Voting will end at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 26 when the decision will be made. The winner card design will be printed and delivered to me about 10 days later. https://www.facebook.com/hackman.art/

 If you are interested in purchasing a pack of 6 cards for $10, please contact me directly via phone 561-622-4884 or email caren@yogapainter.com.

Resource Depot turns waste into wonder

Being a guest columnist for The Rickie Report offers  me the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity about many art related community events and institutions. My most recent assignment was to interview Jennifer O’Brien, the Executive Director of Resource Depot. Resource Depot is one of the most creative and FUN waste recycling institutions I’ve ever visited. Below is a short excerpt from my discussion with Jennifer.

I asked Jennifer: What is Resource Depot and how was it started?

Her response: Resource Depot is a nonprofit creative reuse center that has been serving the Palm Beach County community for more than 16 years. In 1999, several influential partners and collaborators in the community joined together to form Resource Depot. Some of those organizations are still involved today, including Children’s Services Council, Solid Waste Authority, United Way of Palm Beach County, the School District of PBC, Florida Power and Light and SunFest.

 We started as an educational and environmental initiative to reduce the amount of waste that was going into the landfill by diverting materials being disposed of that were still reusable. These donated materials from businesses and individuals were collected by Resource Depot and distributed to the educational community, specifically to help stretch the budgets of nonprofit organizations and teachers.

Resource Depot has stayed with that mission. However, since moving to a new, larger location in 2013, in West Palm Beach, the organization has not only expanded its physical footprint, but also expanded our programs and services. Now that we are more centrally located in the county we do more than just provide materials. We provide DIY resources and ideas for projects, host field trips and workshops for students and families as well as show artwork of local “junk artists” in our gallery.

Many people don’t realize that membership to Resource Depot is open to anyone in the community. Of course, teachers continue to shop here, as well as artists, families, home school moms and other community groups.

Please click here to read the entire article and see more photos.

Yoga Icons artwork on canvas

Yoga Icons are now available as hand embellished fine art prints on canvas. Visit Yoga Palm Beach to view three pieces in person. Yoga icon artworks can be ordered by sending in a contact form (CLICK HERE). The artwork can be created in the color scheme of your choice. The ones on display at Yoga Palm Beach are “orange glo namaste” 44” high x 26” wide (in photo with me) and two smaller pieces that are 26” high x 13” wide and are in “orange glo-namaste” and “lavender passion shanti.”  They are all ready-to-hang.

Through my cousin, David Michael Hollander, artist and master yogi, I’ve been learning about the spiritual significance of the number 108 in yoga. Below are three things that I’ve learned about the significance of the number 108.

1. According to yogic tradition, there are 108 pithas, or sacred sites, throughout India.
2. There are 108 marma points, or sacred places of the body.
3. Traditionally, malas, or garlands of prayer beads, come as a string of 108 beads (plus one for the “guru bead,” around which the other 108 beads turn like the planets around the sun). A mala is used for counting as you repeat a mantra. It is similar to the Catholic rosary.

I’ve respected this significant number when pricing the pieces.

Prices: 44” x 26” = $432.00 and  26” x 13” = $162.00

Pantone Color of the Year

I’ve always had a strong interest in color. My final thesis paper in college dealt with the relationship between color and consumer choices. While working on the paper, my professor, the chairman of the Syracuse University Industrial Design Department, Arthur Pulos, invited me to work for him at his design consulting agency. I was tasked with choosing the proper color for a new model of stapler in the Ace/Swingline company line of products. My choices were less than thrilling. Offices were indulging in the beige-ing of America at the time. The available selection had to be somewhere between cream color and tan. My job was really to decide which of those subtle shades was least likely to look offensive with the office equipment of the day. Perhaps the decision would have been easier had Pantone begun to select their Color of the Year.

Pantone has been selecting a Color of the Year since 2000. The Pantone company, is the world-renowned guru of color and of color systems that are used in technology for the selection and accurate communication across a variety of industries. The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to printer, manufacturer or retailer to  customer. TheColor of the Year choices influence fashion, interior design, industrial design and ultimately advertising.

This year, 2016, for the first time Pantone chose two colors of the year, Rose Quartz and Serenity. The choices, a very soft blue and pink really puzzled me. I decided to research the circumstances and milieu that lead to this decision. 

“Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.” stated Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute.

Please read the full article on The Rickie Report, “A Behind The Scenes Look At The New PANTONE® Colors”.

Canine art

I had a blast working on a new piece of art in honor of my sister, Naomi’s, birthday. The piece depicts her dog, Jake, and her sentiments for her beloved canine companion. The work was painted digitally. I sent two versions to Naomi. One is printed on outdoor vinyl banner material. The other is printed with archival ink on fine art canvas.

Many thanks to my canine nephew, Jake, for posing so beautifully. And a big “thank you” to Adam Jeffrey, my human nephew, for taking nearly a dozen reference photos from which I worked.

I enjoyed this so much that I would like to create more. Would you like to have your pet’s image as an art piece?