Karli Henneman's Geometric Paintings Are Inspired By The Natural Light In Los Angeles

By  Emma Taubenfeld
Karli Henneman in a white shirt with buttons leaning on a table with her paintings in the background on a white wall. Stephen Paul for Hunker

Karli Henneman turns on some blues and makes sure there is a Diet Coke within reach before diving into painting in her Los Angeles-based studio. Not much of a sketcher, the artist explores different scales, shapes, and color palettes by going right in with acrylics on linen canvas.

Henneman's work explores geometric abstraction. She is drawn to using neutral color palettes, minimal composition, and a hard-edge painting technique. However, this wasn't always the case for the artist. She formerly did a lot of mixed media and sewing with iridescent-colored beads, but after living in New York and San Francisco before moving to Los Angeles, Henneman realized how inspired she was by the light of her new city. She was drawn to the soothing feeling that came from muted color tones paired with the natural Los Angeles light.

Canvases with neutral geometric shapes hanging on a white wallStephen Paul for Hunker

"There's never been a time in my life, even from being a small child, that creating art wasn't a huge passion, or a release for me," Henneman tells Hunker. "Before I even knew what meditating was, art has always been that opportunity for me to be fully present with myself, in the moment, and tap out of that critical brain. I find that when I don't make art, I'm not my best self."

Henneman's formal education began at Parsons Paris, before transferring to Parsons New York after thinking she wanted to work in the fashion industry. The painter quickly realized this wasn't the path for her and ended up graduating with a fine arts degree. She took some time after graduation to work with children in Rwanda before heading back to the Big Apple to earn her master's in art therapy from NYU. The program was very clinical, and Henneman had another big realization that she really wanted to be the art maker, which led her down a route of creating her own bodies of work.

A overhead view of paint cans and paint brushes.Stephen Paul for Hunker

Henneman creates different series that are composed of variations of the same ideas, with each new series being a slight evolution of the one that came before. The artist draws inspiration from various avenues, but she is intrigued by the work of another L.A.-based artist, Serena Mitnik-Miller, Peruvian artist Michelle Prazak, Italian painter Nuria Maria, and Spanish artist Maru Quiñonero.

For Henneman, while art has become her career, her full-time job is being a mother to her 4-year-old son. She drops him off at school in the morning and then fully immerses herself in her studio before having to pick him up again at the end of the school day.

Canvases with neutral geometric shapes hanging on a white wall next to a paint smockStephen Paul for Hunker

"When I was single and I could work those obsessive uninterrupted hours, I (at the time) felt that this was the best way to produce work, but being forced to get out of my studio, interact with people, do some day-to-day life things, and then step back in, I actually feel like my work is much more considered," explains Henneman. "I thought it was a limitation to not have that freedom, but it's actually been a gift to allow me to work a little bit more intentionally."

It's all about connection for artists, and the connections Henneman has made have offered her the opportunities she is so grateful to call her own, like partnering with a local home goods boutique called +COOP, donating artwork to her son's school, working on a large commission for a hotel in Las Vegas, and even having her work featured in our very own Hunker House.

Canvas with neutral geometric shapes on a wooden floor leaning against a white wall.Stephen Paul for Hunker

"I think it is a challenging thing for a lot of artists, because they can sit in their studios all day and create art, but how do you connect with people?" says the artist. "And how do you share your work?"

Henneman shares her pieces through Saatchi Art to build relationships with interested buyers and other artists, which helps to boost her sales. It has taught her that the more you put out there, the more connections you can make. While a lot is happening in the artist's professional life at the moment, there have been points in her career where it felt like nothing was going on, but she has had to remind herself that with a little acknowledgement, persistence, and believing in what you do, opportunities eventually find their way. And especially with something as important as art, it's essential to keep pushing.

"It's inspiring," says Henneman. "It's healing. I think I'll always be doing it."

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