Caren Parnes

Caren Parnes is primarily a fan artist (who did some vidding and writing as well) who was active from 1983 to about 1997. Her style was photo-realistic and her primary early fan influence was Alice Jones. She worked in pencil, pen and ink and color pencil. She credits Jean Kluge with providing her with the tips that she used to create her color pencil style (a "painterly" style of layered pencil on board). Her artwork has appeared in numerous fanzines.
Her first and favorite fandom was Star Trek (TOS), but she branched out to many other fandoms through the years as shown in the artwork shown here. She was one of the major K/S zine illustrators during the 80s and early 90s.
Caren won many awards for her art, including a 1985 K/Star Award.
Parnes was one of The Gang of Six. See The Gang of Six and "Courts of Honor".
==Interviews==
* Scribbling Women: Artists Talk Back (2007)
* Legacy Interview with Caren Parnes (2007)
* Media Fandom Oral History Project Interview with Gayle F and Caren P (2013)
==Awards==
* K/Star Award (1985, 1986)
* Fan Q Award (1986)
* Surak Award (1987, 1988)
* Philon Award (1997, 2000)
==From a 2007 Interview: A Thank You==
From Scribbling Women: Artists Talk Back: 
==From a 2007 Interview: About Her Art:==
Some of Caren's responses from excerpts in a 2007 article about the history for K/S art. From Scribbling Women: Artists Talk Back:
 
==From a 2013 Interview: Becoming a Fan==
From Media Fandom Oral History Project Interview with Gayle F and Caren P (2013):
==From a 2013 Interview: Technique and Preference==
==From a 2013 Interview: More About Her Art==
==Some Early Inspirations==
Caren explains: 
Caren continues: 
==Notable Vids==
Due South
* Let The River Run - Due South with Mary Van Deusen.
* My Problem is You - Due South with Mary Van Deusen.
* Staying Alive - Due South with Mary Van Deusen.
Star Trek
* The Rose
* Kiss Today Goodbye
* Total Eclipse of the Heart
Misc
* Callan - Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
* Beauty and the Beast - Sounds of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel)
* Beauty and the Beast - Hurts So Good (John Mellencamp)
*Blake's 7 - Against All Odds (Phil Collins)
* Every Step You Take - Fugitive with Mary Van Deusen (Police)
* So It Goes - Sherlock Holmes with Mary Van Deusen (Billy Joel)
* Shape of My Heart - Tombstone with Mary Van Deusen. 
* Temper of My Revenge - Tombstone with Mary Van Deusen. Filk song sung by Julia Ecklar
A few of these early vids can be seen here or 
==Zine Contributions==
 
* As I Do Thee
* Available Light 
* Back-to-Back
* Before the Glory
* California K/S
* Close Doubles
* Come to Your Senses
* A Consortium of Light
* Counterpoint
* Daring Attempt
* Fantasies
* First Time
* First Time Calendar
* Galactic Discourse
* Gateway
* Heatwave
* In the Wilderness
* The K/S Art Project
* KaleidoScope 
* The Last, Best Hope
* Legacy
* The Long Way Back
* KisMet 
* Maine(ly) Trek
* Matter/Antimatter
* Mind Meld
* Naked Singularity 
* No Holds Barred
* No Pants, No Badge, No Gun
* Nome
* Parallax Ring
* The Poets and I
* Powerplay
* Progressions
* Promises to Keep
* Quantum Quirkiness
* Rat Tales
* A River That Runs Both Ways
* Soul Surrender
* Teo Torriatte 
* T'hy'la 
* To Catch a Unicorn
* Vault of Tomorrow
* The Voice
* Whalesong
* Winter's End
== Sample Art== 
===Unknown Date===
 
Image:Older_Spock_portrait_P%26I_small.jpg|"Older Spock"
Image:XFiles.jpg|"Mulder & Scully" -- This may be the cover of Available Light (1995)
Image:undateddoyle.jpg|original art, Ray Doyle
Image:Baryshnikov.jpg| "Baryshnikov"
 
===1984===
File:Parallaxart10.jpg|from Parallax Ring 
File:Voice4-2.jpg|from The Voice #4 -- In 2011, this image inspired Blackbird Song to write "He That Pricketh the Heart" for the 2011 KisMet convention zine, where it was voted "Best Story" -- this illustration was also included in The K/S Art Project (2011)
Image:Younger_K%26S_Pencil_small.jpg|"Younger Kirk & Spock" originally in The Voice #4 (1984) - included in The K/S Art Project (1999)
Image:californiaart1.jpg|from California K/S #1 -- "Caren P is certainly one of the very, very best artists that our fandom has. These few pages of art have three matching pairs of portraits of Kirk and Spock, a colour one, a TOS one and a movies one. The best technically, though they are all good, is the colour one of Spock, you can see the very texture of his hair and skin even down to the scar on his cheek! These colour pictures look like photo's of the art which have been stuck in separately, they are glued on to the zine. I am amazed they are still there after so many years! There is also a fantastic one of the movie Spock, how Caren has captured that slight smile in his eyes I'll just never know, looks like its done with a pencil wash, a hard medium to control and very well handled. I think this might be my favourite picture of Spock ever yet, though I have so many favourites!" from Communicator #23 
Image:Young_Spock_portrait_color.jpg|original "Younger Spock," later included in The K/S Art Project, a black and white version was used in Before the Glory in 1988 
File:California1front.jpg|from California K/S #1 -- "Talk about an eye-catching front cover! All that skin! For those of you who aren’t fortunate enough to have seen this particular masterpiece by [Caren P.] (those of you who have are probably still breathing heavily), the cover features a completely naked Jim and Spock kissing. Kisses are especially hard to do and this one is quite nice, but frankly the last thing I’m looking at are their mouths. Have I mentioned the lovely shading of their skin? I’ve always thought that Spock has a perfectly lovely rounded butt, and it’s displayed to perfection here, along with his double ridges, which are just starting to take notice of what’s in store for them within a very few minutes. And can you believe that it was a very long time before I realized that Kirk’s nicely-veined and thickened, uh, penis and, uh, accoutrements (I especially like the accoutrements) are also not only visible but giving adequate reason for why some ancient societies thought phallic worship a very worthwhile occupation. Not us, of course. We’ve moved beyond that. Haven’t we? Have I mentioned the glorious shading up Spock’s back, or the lovely tension in Kirk’s arm as he leans back on it the better to lean forward into pressing his mouth to Spock’s? Or the utterly delightful way his right leg is raised slightly and bent at the knee, the better for his t’hy’la to lean upon it. Seems to me to be a wonderful position that should be repeated frequently. Somebody owns the original of this picture! If you’re reading this, would you consider mentioning me in your will?" from The K/S Press #40 
Image:californiaart2.jpg|from California K/S #1
Image:californiaart3.jpg|from California K/S #1
Image:californiaart4.jpg|from California K/S #1
File:Californiaart5.jpg|from California K/S #1 -- "...some of the finest work I've seen, including an Admiral Kirk with a half smile, gentle, mature, one who has, I suspect, his Spock and his, ship. This is fine work and only professional printing can capture the detail. from Communicator #23 
Image:californiaart6.jpg|"Older Kirk", from California K/S #1 -- "The TOS portrait of Kirk is a very good likeness indeed, the movies one I think even more so. Again Kirk eyes are very striking as they look up and away (at Spock?). Kirk is so hard to draw, but looking at these pictures of him by Caren, I stop trying to see how another artist has handled it and just appreciate the picture as a whole, they are that convincing! Now even if every story in this zine is a disaster I am delighted to own it for those six pages alone!" from The K/S Press #101 
Image:Older_Kirk_portrait_color_small.jpg|"Older Kirk" (the original) 
File:Nakedsing1-9.jpg|from Naked Singularity 
===1985===
 
File:Nopants4.jpg|from No Pants, No Badge, No Gun
File:Fantasiesart1.jpg|from Nome #8 for the story, Fantasies by Beverly Sutherland
File:Back2.jpg|from Back-to-Back #2 (Hardcastle & McCormick)
Image:Starsky.jpg|"Starsky," winner of a 1985 Encore Award
File:Gateways2art1.jpg|from Gateway #2
File:Progressions12.jpg|from Progressions for the story, Beyond Trust
Image:mindmeld2.jpg|from Mind Meld #2 -- "...the color cover by Caren Parnes is simply the most beautiful cover I have ever seen on any zine. Debbie Gilbert from Communications Console (July/Aug 1985) 
Image:Nome8.jpg|cover of Nome #8 (1985) -- "This name on a piece of art is all I need to tell me it will be extraordinary. It will be sensitive, it will be realistic, it will frequently tell a story. Such is this NOME cover depicting Kirk as he appeared in STIII, his eyes cast upward and to his right where there is an image of Spock in his white robe, surrounded by flame. Nestled in the opposite corner is a sketch of the Enterprise being incinerated in the atmosphere of Genesis while her crew looks on. This piece speaks eloquently of sacrifice and of hope." from The K/S Press #139 
Image:Asidothee3front.jpg|cover of As I Do Thee #3 -- The composition of the piece is modeled on a scene from the episode "This Side of Paradise," but with Kirk in place of the female love interest.
===1986===
[[Image:rattalesfront.jpg|from Rat Tales, by Caren "Fingers" Parnes 
Image:daring4art3.jpg| from Daring Attempt #4, page 121 -- "Caren Parnes has captured Spock perfectly in his familiar pose of meditation. Hands steepled carefully before him, dark robe accenting his gleaming hair and obsidian eyes. I think the eyes are what do it for me. As he looks slightly downward, no definition shows -- just blackness.	This likeness is better than a photo -- it’s filled with mystery. What are the thoughts behind those dark lashes? What has prompted his ritualistic pose? I believe he’s thinking of love." from The K/S Press #38 
File:Voice5-1.jpg|from The Voice #5
File:Firsttime6-2.jpg|from First Time #6 
Image:firsttimesixback.jpg|from First Time #6
Image:Kirk%26Eagle_P%26I._smalljpg.jpg|"Kirk & the Eagle", from First Time #6
Image:mindmeld3.jpg|from Mind Meld #3
Image:Pros_teotsmall.jpeg|from Teo Torriate 
Image:Nome9.jpg|from Nome #9 
File:Nome9art1.jpg|from Nome #9 This illustration for the story "Intermezzo" was used in Enterprising Women
Image:Heatwave.jpg|from Heatwave
File:Vault9art3.jpg|from Vault of Tomorrow #9, portrait of Sarek
===1987===
File:Powerplay1-2.jpg|from Powerplay #1
File:Powerplay1-3.jpg|from Powerplay #1
 File:Whalesong1-9.jpg|from Whalesong #1 
File:Galdis5art16.jpg|from Galactic Discourse #5
Image:firsttimethirteenback.jpg|back cover of First Time #13 (1987)
File:Firsttime50.jpg|cover of First Time #50 -- "The covers to FT 50 are a collage of covers of older issues, highlighted by a new color piece by long time GREAT artist Caren Parnes. Well, maybe it's not new, but I haven't seen it before. I can't read the date on it. It's a color Kirk and Spock that anyone would love to own a print of. It's gen, but who cares? On the front, the former covers celebrated are from First Time 1--[Gayle F]; FT 27--Marilyn Cole; FT 42--Shelley Butler; and FT 45--the late great Chris Soto."" from The K/S Press #42 
Image:Kirk%26Spock_small.jpg| original art used for the cover of First Time #50, included in The K/S Art Project 
Image:Nome_10.JPG|from Nome #10 (1987)
Image:mindmeld4.jpg| from Mind Meld #4
Image:First_Time_13.jpg|cover of First Time #13 (1987)
Image:vaultoftomorrow12.jpg|cover of "Vault of Tomorrow" #12 (1987)
===1988===
Image:Thyla7.jpg|from T'hy'la #7
File:Matterantimatter6-10.jpg|from Matter/Antimatter #6, titled "When Legends Meet"
Image:besthopeworth.jpg|cover of "The Last Best Hope" -- "even after reading this, i still have no idea why there's a hawk and a horse on the cover (i'm guessing blake's the horse... and that he runs free? but it's not clear), but it's over-the-top and brilliant in its own way. the colouring is really nice and beautifully textured and, although i think blake looks a bit young for the series 2 outfit he's depicted in, it's a nice picture. i like the avon less - and his pose is a bit... nothingy, where as blake is obviously being inspired or something. but overall: i like this cover." aralias reviewed this zine in June 2013 ; on Live Journal.
===1989===
Image:longwayback.jpg|from The Long Way Back -- "this cover doesn't work for me, even now i know the rose is a major plot point and not just a pretty flower. i've only just realised that there's a sun and a moon behind them... but i guess it makes more sense than blake's head being on fire. he looks old, which is fine, because he's supposed to be pretty old at this point. but it's... a strange choice for your romantic cover." aralias reviewed this zine in 2013 . 
===1991===
Image:river.jpg|from A River That Runs Both Ways, also the cover of Strange Bedfellows #5 -- "This is the badass Frank I know and love." from a mailing list, quoted anonymously (November 2010) 
 
 Image:firsttimetwentyninefront.jpg| from First Time #29 "These covers are lovely. They are Caren Parnes' usual "photographic" style, but the backgrounds are black which I don't think is unusual for her. The front shows a young version of our lovers; the back, an older version. I prefer the back as Kirk really looks quite handsome in this one. These are the same covers as on THE POETS AND I. They deserve repeating." "The front cover shows us a very young captain and first officer just starting out on their legendary journey. Behind them rides their ship, truly a silver lady. From the innocence depicted on their faces, they don‘t know yet where this command will take them, what hardships they will endure, what triumphs they will share, what trials will turn trust into love." from The K/S Press #142 
 Image:firsttimetwentynineback.jpg| from First Time #29 -- "These lovely covers were done to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Star Trek and published in 1991. If you are familiar with this artist‘s work you know how fabulous she is. I don‘t know what I can say about these pieces except these are more of the glorious same. [...] The back cover gives us Kirk and Spock as admiral and captain, circa Star Trek II. The viewer can see the experiences—both good and bad—that lights their eyes, the quiet comfort they take in each other, and I fancy I can see the love they have found as well. Behind them is the refitted Enterprise. I wish I could reach into the picture and tell them that though there will be grief to come, they will also find each other again. Thank you for these, Caren." from The K/S Press #142 
===1992===
Image:K%26S%2BEnterprise_pencil._smalljpg.jpg|"Kirk, Spock & The Enterprise", from T'hy'la #11 (1992)
Image:noholds2.jpg|from No Holds Barred #2
Image:Consort.jpg|from A Consortium of Light
Image:Holmes%26Watson.jpg|"Holmes & Watson", from No Holds Barred #1
===1993===
File:counterpoint9.jpg|from Counterpoint #9 -- "What a beautiful cover! Especially this Kirk upper left is so handsome. Looks like a photo, but unlike a photo, this picture shows all of his gentle personality. And the two of then together in the middle -- Kirk looks so shy, I think, because he's going to tell Spock that he loves him. And Spock will answer, "I know, Jim, don't be ashamed. I too feel love for thee." Really wonderful!" from The LOC Connection #52
===1994===
File:Quantumquirk.jpg|from Quantum Quirkiness
Image:Thyla15.jpg|from T'hy'la #15 -- "[Parnes'] artwork causes me to do some serious genuflecting (such as that gorgeous cover of T'hy'la #15)."Shore Leave con report Come Together #8 
File:Firsttime40.jpg|from First Time #40, see fan comments at Intergalactic Gallery
File:Firsttime40back.jpg|from First Time #40, see fan comments at Intergalactic Gallery
 Image:wildernessfrontispiece.jpg| from In the Wilderness #4 -- "... love the art here, how Jim touches him barely, and Spock's reaction." Denise Dion's post to K/S Zine Friends Facebook Group dated October 1, 2012, quoted with permission.
===1995===
Image:promises-to-keep.jpg|from Promises to Keep -- "Last week, two repairmen were in my house and one of them came into my dining room, which is covered with Trek memorabilia. He twisted his hands, lowered his head and muttered that he was a Trek fan, too. 'I like the guy with the visor,' he said, speaking to the floor. 'And I like the robot, a little. But what I really like,' he pointed up and at the original cover of Promises to Keep that I have framed on the wall, 'are those two fellows Kirk and Spock. Do you like them, too?' Needless to say, he did an excellent job installing my air ducts, and I kept him supplied with lemonade throughout the day." from The K/S Press #1 "Until you read the novel, you cannot possibly understand the symbolism of this gorgeous color artwork. Both Spock and Kirk are drawn in exquisite detail and with the accuracy of a camera lens. And yet, the camera would not capture them so -- because this is how they appear in their melds: perfection. Flawless, timeless, handsome, sensitive. Unbelievable. The closer you look the more fine features you see.	Tiny vessels in the whites of Kirk’s eyes, impeccably trimmed strands of Vulcan hair. Truly a piece to be treasured. Praise be to the thoughtful editor who chose to protect this masterpiece beneath a clear cover." from The K/S Press #41 
===1996===
>
Image:Crockett.jpg| "Sonny Crockett", Miami Vice, from No Holds Barred #11
Image:wintersend.jpg|cover of Winter's End (1996)
 
===1997===
Image:Soulsurrender.jpg|cover of Soul Surrender (1997)
Image:noholds15.jpg|cover of No Holds Barred #15 (1997)
File:Kaleid6 by caren parnes.jpg| cover of Kaleidoscope #6
===2000-2010s===
Image:come25.jpg|from Come to Your Senses #25 (2003)
File:Thyla33-2.jpg|"Kirkhawke" in T'hy'la #33
 
==References==
Category:Fanartists
Category:Vidders
Category:Filkers