Artist Spotlight: Adair Karlen

By Kathie Scrimgeour

Adair is a self-taught artist whose passion for color and abstraction has shaped a lifetime of creativity. At the age of 11, she took a few introductory oil painting classes from local Chicago artists—and that was enough to ignite her artistic journey.

Growing up in a family of art collectors, Adair was especially inspired by her uncle, whose home was filled not only with mid-century furniture, but also original works by many renowned artists. She was captivated by the collection, even before she understood why it resonated so deeply with her.

Art remained a constant throughout her life. She painted murals on her children's bedroom walls and, in the late 1980s, began creating large abstract paintings during a home renovation. By the late 1990s, her wood artwork was represented in as many as 21 galleries, all while she maintained a full-time career as a USPTA professional tennis instructor for 29 years at the City of Highland Park Tennis Center in Illinois.

After retiring, Adair eventually settled in Tucson, where she became an enthusiastic, competitive bridge player, traveling to tournaments until the pandemic brought those adventures to a halt. She then rediscovered the art studio she had built in her casita, and it quickly became her creative sanctuary. She has been creating there ever since. Today, her work can be found in four Tucson galleries: SAAG Gallery, Absolutely Art Gallery, the Tucson Museum of Art Store, and ArtHouseCentro in the Historic Block.

Adair is also known for the imaginative titles of her paintings. A lifelong music lover with a special appreciation for jazz, she paints with music playing in the background, often borrowing song titles to name her artwork. For her, the connection feels completely natural.

Since joining SAAG Gallery, Adair has found a community of artists she proudly calls friends. Because of physical limitations, she is unable to volunteer in the gallery, something she considers her greatest regret, as she misses the camaraderie and shared creative spirit.

At the heart of Adair's work is a simple message: HAPPY.

“My casita…my HAPPY place. When I play with color…HAPPY experiment. My paintings…HAPPY completion. When on the SAAG gallery wall…HAPPY smile.”

Adair encourages fellow artists to embrace the creative process, let go of expectations, and simply be themselves. She believes everyone is meant to create—and above all, to be happy.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adair.karlin.5

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlinadair/

Hot Tamale Bowl by Adair Karlen.