MaryBeth Karaus is a graduate of the DAAP program of the University of Cincinnati, but her artistic training began years before any formal study. Her mother was a passionate artist, and she was raised with an intrinsic appreciation and understanding of art. For the last 25 years she has been a dedicated Mom of four while pursuing painting, and in recent years focusing on still-life. Pushing the boundaries of   traditional still life, she strives for originality and excellence in composition while still respecting the importance of classical painting.  

 

Karaus first began her career as an artist in watercolors, a form she was drawn to from the teaching of Robert James Foose of the University of Kentucky. As a watercolor artist she was juried into  the Kentucky Watercolor Society Aqueous Show, the Lexington Art League Nude Show and the Cincinnati Art Club Viewpoint show. She also became a Signature member of the Cincinnati Art Club.

 

After concentration for some time in the medium of watercolor, she began studying oil painting, beginning with a workshop with respected artist Dan Gerhartz in 2004.  In 2006, she won the Top Award of Excellence from the juried exhibition of the Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati. In 2012, she took an intensive study of classical drawing and painting with artist David Mueller. In the last ten years, her work was accepted into the Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition seven times, and she was awarded status of Signature Member of OPA in 2015. The year 2017 also included the Impressionist Honorable Mention at the National Show for her  “Fragile Morning” piece. She was very honored to be asked to be a demo artist for the 2017 National Convention.

 

In 2018, MaryBeth was awarded The Dorothy Driehaus Mellin Fellowship for Midwestern Artists from The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, as well as the Members’ Choice Honorable Mention Award in the Associate & Signature Division at the 27th National Juried Exhibition of the Oil Painters of America for the painting “Orange Romance”.  At the Virtuoso of the OPA, judge Daniel Greene awarded her third place for her painting Nature’s Blush in 2019. She received the Award of Excellence at the OPA Wet Paint 2020.  Karaus also was a Finalist in the Art Renewal Center’s  International ARC Salon Competitions in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022.

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Karaus is an active member of the Cincinnati Art Club.  Founded in 1890, it is the second oldest continually operating art club in the country.   She was awarded First Place at the CAC Viewpoint 53 show in October of 2021.  She currently displays her work at Eisele Gallery of Fine Art in Cincinnati, Ohio and Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, Texas.