Part 3 of 7 Degrees of Mississippi
Every afternoon, just like the rest of the living world, I spend an hour or so aimlessly scrolling through all the social media outlets for the latest gossip, funny dance videos and cute kitten pics. But, God, that Man, always has a way of bringing me what I need. No matter how many times that happens, I am always amazed.
So, I had decided that every interesting and inspiring person was connected to the great state of Mississippi in some sort of way. Here I was scrolling through Instagram and an extraordinary painting caught my eye. I click on it and see my God-wink. For those of you that don’t know, a God-wink is when God gives you exactly what you need through what would seem like just a coincidence.
And there she was, my God-wink, Karen P. Cannon, “a Mississippi artist at heart who now lives and works in Delaware.” Her art is so exquisite, so full of character, of course she was within 7 degrees of Mississippi!
Karen grew up in Laurel with 3 sisters, living a picturesque, small-town childhood. They lived life surrounded by their entire family until Karen’s father accepted a new job and new adventure in Maryland as a television station sales manager. Within a couple months, the family was reunited and life began in a new world.
An artist is born, not made. This is evident, when Karen talks about her journey through the art world. “I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in art. I got a set of pastels from my godmother when I was 5 or 6 and I remember feeling like a ‘real’ artist.” Since those first few pastels, Karen’s interest, style and technique have changed and evolved and grown. From her first official oil lessons with local Laurel artist, Jean Carter to whimsical to hyper-realism, Karen has explored all aspects of the art world unabashedly.
You can take the girl out of Mississippi, but you can’t take Mississippi out of the girl. Delaware is over 1000 miles away. There are several nearby beaches, some of America’s most famous cities are just a short drive away, including Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Baltimore. There is always something fascinating to do. But, “I do miss Mississippi. My latest collection is called, ‘Sweet Magnolias’, a direct reference to Mississippi. There is no place like it!”
And she is right. No matter where the road takes us, no matter how far away from home we go, just like the roots of the kudzu, our Mississippi roots take ahold of our hearts. Mississippi is not just a geographical dot on the map of the world. It is a state of being. You can leave, if you want. But you will always stagger back again.
Please, take a moment to relish in our beloved fellow Mississippian’s work. Show her the love that we have come to be known for. You can find her at: karenpcannonart.com, and on Instagram: @karenpcannon, and on Etsy: karenpcannonart.etsy.com.
Lessons Learned From The Rainbow 