Karen often paints en plein air in an effort to capture the essence of the landscape in Northern California, where she lives. It is truly a passion! She also enjoys travelling which is a constant source of inspiration for new paintings.
Karen moved to the San
Francisco Bay Area from Atlanta, Georgia in 1989. She was
immediately struck the by the natural beauty that enveloped her and
was inspired to move back into drawing and painting from the world of
photography. She states: “I feel very privileged to have the
opportunity to live in California surrounded by the magnificent
landscape with its endless variety. Painting allows me to closely
examine nature and I now notice everyday things that otherwise would
have passed me by. Time slows down when you paint or sketch. It’s
magical.”
She works in both the oil
and pastel mediums and believes that one enhances the other.
Currently, she is primarily focusing on figure in landscape and
prepares by painting small studies outdoors in the plein air style.
She believes that these studies improve the larger, finished pieces
by enabling her to capture and recreate more accurate color and
atmosphere. It also develops her “artist memory” when racing the
clock and observing the changes in light that only occur when
painting plein air.
Her work is in
galleries in California as well as private collections across the
U.S. and Italy. In addition, she has received numerous awards in
various juried events, plein air competitions and exhibitions.
Affiliations
Oil Painters of America
California Art Club
Monterey Bay Plein Air
Painters Association Signature Member
