Karl has been a fine artist his entire life and is well known for his portraits, seascapes and landscapes. Karl’s numerous accomplishments are evident; You can find his work hanging in over 300 public and private collections, including Interpublic Companies, Merrill Lynch, PepsiCo and the Heisman Trophy portrait collection. His paintings have been shown in the finest galleries, as well as featured on television, in magazines and newspapers. In 2002 Karl led the introduction of the Heisman Trophy Awards on national television by painting that year's winner. In 2010 Karl had his first Solo exhibit at the National Arts Club in NYC featuring his series "Iconic Symbols". Karl also teaches at his Studio in Fairfield.

"As an artist I started out painting land and seascapes until I discovered portraiture. Over a period of several years, while my portrait paintings matured, I experimented with incorporating symbols into my art. I soon began to develop a painting style with symbols that has become my own.

While painting portraits it became clear to me that developing a relationship with the subject was an important part of the process in making a painting successful. I found that the more I learned about the subject the better my finished work became. Coincidentally, as I began to experiment with symbols I also discovered that I was able to share my relationship and understanding of the subject with the audience. As a result each painting has their own unique story to tell. I have created this through research and personal experience with each piece.

My use of symbols began while studying at Yale University. Later, my ability to understand how to utilize color in this form was forged with my experience as a teenager working at my father's color separation printing company. The combination of these experiences gave me the foundation to create very complex and very realistic paintings at the same time.

In my paintings the subjects are iconic in who they are or what they represent and, since our culture has become so absorbed in celebrities, they are often the focus of my work. As the audience studies the painting and its symbols a story unfolds like a puzzle."

Karl Soderlund