Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Karen Rootenberg?

Karen Rootenberg is a South African artist based in Cape Town.

In this season of my life, I am painting. My soul is in love with painting, and it wants to express the light and dark, the colour, the spirit, the emotion, the shape and form of the imaginations which call to me.

My art is shaped by my own soul journey and by many years of spiritual and psychological work with people.

What kind of art do you create?

I create original paintings that explore humanness, soul, spiritual imagination, psychological depth, the feminine, beauty, conflict and transformation.

Oil is my primary medium, although I do at times work with charcoal and pencil to create additional interest.

My artistic mission is to express the dynamic of “humanness”. What it means to be human is not easily defined, but for me it has to do with the journey of finding and expressing the soul’s authenticity.

Where are you based?

I am based in Cape Town, South Africa.

The paintings are shown here in my online gallery. If you would like to know more about a particular work, please use the enquiry form or the enquiry button below the artwork.

What themes appear in my paintings?

The paintings move through many expressions of human experience.

Some works explore the heart, tenderness, humour and mystery. Some move into the deeper terrain of soul and psychological conflict. Some open towards spiritual forces and the supersensible world. Others explore the feminine, or respond to political and current themes such as war, suffering and the more extreme conditions of human life.

Animals also have a way of saying “hello” in my paintings.

What is meant by Spiritual Art?

Spiritual Art opens a window to a world which is at a different level of consciousness to the more everyday or ordinary consciousness.

In my spiritual art, I attempt to express that which is sublime and powerful, carrying an element of the eternal rather than the transitory. These paintings approach the realm of forces, light and darkness, and the mysterious reality that lies beyond the visible world.

What is Soul – Psychological Art?

In this collection, the soul is understood as a bridge between the spiritual realm and the material realm.

But the soul is not only a bridge. It can also become a battleground, where light and dark, spirit and earth, ideals and lived reality meet one another.

As an artist, my purpose is not to evaluate the soul. It is to reveal the power of the soul, with its dynamic expressions of light and dark.

What is Art of the Heart?

Art of the Heart is a collection of paintings that speak from the deep well of magic, beauty and mystery which resides in the human heart.

These works are intimate, symbolic, tender, questioning and sometimes quietly humorous. They are not easily categorised. They are unconventional depictions of my heart: my tenderness, my questioning, my humour, my quirkiness, and the hidden movements of feeling that ask to be painted.

What is The Mystery of the Feminine?

The Mystery of the Feminine explores the feminine through original paintings that move between beauty, power, archetype, vulnerability, complexity and shadow.

I love to paint the feminine. I try to express its multi-faceted nature, from the icon of the Goddess to the complex feminine being who carries beauty, energy and also the possibility of darkness.

The time has come for women, and for the feminine, to see themselves through their own eyes.

What are Political and Current Themes?

I do not paint many political paintings, but when I do, my intention is to create awareness of a world filled with war, conflict, poverty and suffering.

These paintings are not only about external events. It is what lives behind the external representation that I find most interesting, and that I wish to express. In this way, this collection overlaps with my Soul – Psychological Art.

Are the paintings available to buy?

Some works may be available, while others may already be sold.

If you are interested in a painting, please use the enquiry button below that artwork, or contact me through the enquiry form. Where possible, include the name of the artwork you are asking about.

How do I enquire about a specific artwork?

Click the Enquire button below the artwork, or visit the contact page and include the artwork name in your message.

If you clicked through from an artwork enquiry button, the artwork name may already be filled in for you.

How are purchases made?

Purchases can be arranged by enquiry.

Payment can be made using PayPal or EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer). Further details can be discussed directly once you have enquired about a specific artwork.

Are the artwork measurements shown in millimetres?

Yes. Canvas measurements are shown in millimetres.

Can I ask a question before deciding about a painting?

Yes. You are welcome to ask about a painting, its size, availability, meaning, medium, or purchase process.

A painting may awaken thinking and enliven feeling. It may disturb or delight. It may be a source of beauty, or it may ask something deeper of the viewer. If a work speaks to you, you are welcome to enquire.