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Artist Jackie Koenig with the oil painting Fishing at Cape Point. Her art show will run through August 26 in the Courtroom Gallery of Dare Arts. Summer Stevens photo

Jackie Koenig’s work has been displayed at Surfin’ Spoon in Nags Head, Bella Fiore in Ocracoke, The Swell Gallery in Buxton, Ashley’s Espresso Parlour in Kitty Hawk, Urban Cottage in Duck, and The Kind Cup in Corolla. Summer Stevens photo

Artist Jackie Koenig with the oil painting Fishing at Cape Point. Her art show will run through August 26 in the Courtroom Gallery of Dare Arts. Summer Stevens photo

Jackie Koenig’s work has been displayed at Surfin’ Spoon in Nags Head, Bella Fiore in Ocracoke, The Swell Gallery in Buxton, Ashley’s Espresso Parlour in Kitty Hawk, Urban Cottage in Duck, and The Kind Cup in Corolla. Summer Stevens photo

Artist Jackie Koenig with the oil painting Fishing at Cape Point. Her art show will run through August 26 in the Courtroom Gallery of Dare Arts. Summer Stevens photo

Dare Arts gallery manager Tiffany Lindsey said the gallery looks for artists whose work is “fresh, unexpected, new to us and new to gallery goers.” Summer Stevens photo

The Jackie Koenig exhibit “Outer Banks Coastal Collection” opened at Dare Arts on Friday evening, August 4 in the Courtroom Gallery.

Through August 26, two dozen of the artist’s select oil paintings will adorn the walls of the upper room of the gallery, moving the viewer to a warm and rich encounter with the seascapes and landscapes of the Outer Banks.

Koenig has a masterful use of color, blending vibrant shades of pinks, oranges and blues to create a sunset on canvas that invokes the same sense of wonderment as the scene in nature itself. Yet in the next painting, she captures the roll of the ocean waves in deep blues and greens, inviting the viewer to sink into its wild rest.

“Jackie’s artwork transports you to a moment,” said gallery manager Tiffany Lindsey. “Feelings of nostalgia, tranquility, and contentment radiate from her work. I would encourage anyone to come and spend time in the exhibit for that reason.”

Lindsey described Koenig’s work as impressionist and color field, and said her brush work, use of color and real-life subject matter align very nicely within those periods of the arts while still having her own modern creative twist. “Her renditions of the coastal Carolina experience captivate viewers. Almost anyone attracted to a painting walks out with it,” Lindsey added.

“Her work stirs my soul to great heights of joy,” said Jeanne Livingstone, who visited the art show from Salem, Oregon. “It perfectly captures the captivating essence of the Outer Banks.”

All the paintings at the art show are for sale, and one piece sold opening night – one of the artist’s favorites – of four men fishing in the surf.

Another favorite, entitled S Turns, is a roadside view of Highway 12 headed south into Rodanthe.

“This is special piece because this road is no longer accessible by vehicle due to the recent construction of the Jug Handle Bridge. I spent a couple summers in college living and working in Rodanthe with friends. S turns was a famous surf spot and commonly where the ocean washed over during storms making the road impassable. If you’re at all familiar with Hatteras Island, you’ll recognize this spot and now a thing of the past,” Koenig said.

Like S Turns, much of Koenig’s work is inspired by real places in the Outer Banks. Other pieces are named after familiar locations or experiences like Nags Head Sunrise, Pea Island at Dusk, Buxton Light, and Pamlico Sound Sunset.

“It’s so inspiring as an artist to live in a place you love so much,” Koenig said. “I started out doing mostly commission work (impressionistic portraits, houses, pets etc.) but now I’m able to fully indulge in these large coastal landscapes that I absolutely love to work on.”

Koenig learned her craft from her grandmother, an accomplished oil painter. “As a young girl I would go over to her house to work on different art projects using all kinds of mediums. I have such fond memories of being in her studio and sharing that creative space with her,” she said.

Koenig went on to take art classes in high school, and studied fine arts at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. She said her grandmother continued to offer helpful criticism until her passing in 2020.

Aside from Dare Arts, Koenig’s work can be seen at Surfin’ Spoon in Nags Head, Bella Fiore in Ocracoke, The Swell Gallery in Buxton, Ashley’s Espresso Parlour in Kitty Hawk, Urban Cottage in Duck, and The Kind Cup in Corolla.

Her artwork has been used in gift baskets for guests at a local Airbnb, she’s donated pieces to various local community fundraisers and she’s done a couple specific paintings for a nonprofit organization called Midwives for Haiti.

Koenig lives in Kitty Hawk with her husband and three sons. She can be found online at jackiekoenigpainting.com and on Instagram @jackiekoenigpainting.

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