Tylee Kareck
Tylee Kareck grew up in a household that prioritized scientific and mathematical pursuits, while still remaining open and encouraging toward creative exploration. Visual art was never positioned as a central focus, but it was also never discouraged. Early opportunities provided by elementary school teachers, along with exposure to painters online during her teenage years, played a formative role in shaping her interest. Painting gradually became her primary creative outlet through curiosity rather than a decisive turning point.
Kareck has no formal art education beyond a few introductory painting and ceramics classes taken in childhood. She developed her skills independently through online tutorials, observation, and extensive trial and error. Although she began painting at a young age, her practice became more focused and intentional during high school, when she started learning directly from the work of other artists and refining her techniques.
Her work tends to move within a defined range of subjects and styles. Landscapes, surrealist nature scenes, and engineering-inspired imagery recur throughout her practice. Stylistically, her paintings often settle into surrealism, realism, or a blend of the two. Recent work has expanded further into engineering-related themes, incorporating acrylic mediums and diagrammatic elements drawn from her academic background in chemical engineering.
Recurring visual motifs appear across her work, including mountains, water, theoretical diagrams, and a fictional daffodil with a blue eye. These elements are not intended to function symbolically. Mountains and water reflect the environments she grew up around in northern Nevada and her ongoing connection to those landscapes after relocating to the Great Plains. The daffodil emerged organically in one of her early college paintings and has continued to reappear because of its personal significance as the catalyst for her exploration of surrealism. Kareck emphasizes that while she does not assign symbolic meaning to these motifs, she values the interpretations viewers bring to the work, provided they are not harmful.
Her influences are wide-ranging and often difficult to pinpoint precisely. Landscape painters such as Bob Ross have shaped her approach to composition, color, and spontaneity in more realistic works. Her surreal pieces draw inspiration from immersive art environments like Meow Wolf, particularly installations such as the Flower Shop Portal and Dairy Glitch, which informed her use of bright color palettes and unexpected visual elements.
Kareck’s creative process is straightforward and adaptable. With a permanently set-up easel, beginning a session typically involves preparing water and cleaning materials rather than elaborate rituals. Inspiration may come from past environments, academic experiences, or visual media encountered online. One notable example is her portrait of her childhood dog, Licorice, painted in a suit against a surreal background. Though created years after living with him, the piece was driven by memory and personality rather than direct observation.
She does not create with a predetermined message in mind and strongly believes in the value of art for its own sake. Any thematic meaning, such as appreciation for nature, science, or engineering, often emerges through audience interpretation rather than intention. Her primary hope is to create visually engaging work that may spark curiosity or interest in academic and natural subjects.
The most fulfilling aspect of Kareck’s creative journey has been the freedom painting provides. Because art is not tied to her financial well-being, she is able to take risks, make mistakes, and explore without pressure. This openness has been especially meaningful for her as a recovering perfectionist, offering a rare space for experimentation without consequence.
Looking ahead, Kareck hopes to share her work more widely through exhibitions, publications, or the eventual opening of a shop. She plans to continue painting landscapes and surreal subjects, with the daffodil likely returning as a recurring character. Her practice remains intentionally flexible, shaped by spontaneity, enjoyment, and sustained curiosity rather than external trends or expectations.
