Karl J. Volk was born in 1932 in Brooklyn, New York. Because of the U.S. economic tragedy, he was sent to Germany when only 11-months old, to live with two paternal uncles and their wives. While he was in Aschaffenburg, Germany, he lived for a time in the house of Mr. Adelbert Hock, who was a well-known painter of Aschaffenburg scenes and altar pieces. This early influence sparked Karl's first interest in art.

 

Karl returned to the United States in 1947 after the war had ended and enrolled in his first American learning institution, Halsey Junior High School, and started learning English. His growing interest in art was now influenced by his art teacher, Miss Drew. Continuing his education, he graduated from Brooklyn College in 1955 with a B.A. In Art Education. His teachers, while attending college included Mark Rothko, Burgoyne Diller, and Kurt Seligman. In 1962 he earned his Master’s degree from New York University.

 

After his schooling, Karl began a teaching career in various school districts in Upstate New York. His longest and final tenure was in the Spackenkill School District in Poughkeepsie, lasting over 25 years. He has also lectured and conducted classes for adults in community programs, both in oil and watercolor. To continue to further his skill and interest, he has attended evening sessions at Barrett Art Center in Poughkeepsie, and summer sessions at the Woodstock School of Art, where he studied under Franklin Alexander, Alan Gavin, Margaret Flitsch, and Chris Klingle. More recently, he has studied under Carolyn Edlund.

 

Karl's style shows an appreciation of working in watercolor, as well as the more studied approach shown by his acrylic still lifes. He aims to spend more time doing landscapes of the scenic Hudson Valley. Karl is the curator for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Poughkeepsie. He is also actively working to establish an Art Repository; a place where artwork from senior artists can be cleanly and securely stored, in a climate-safe location; viewed and purchased upon request; and be available as a teaching and exploratory lesson for future artists, visitors, and friends.