“The inspiration for my art lies in our innate relationship with nature. I ascertain that some images feel familiar to us, and that this perception is a primal and instinctual response.”

I began exhibiting my work in 2001 in Austin, Texas and was awarded a studio scholarship at the Guadeloupe Art Center. I showed my work at the Center and other shows and venues around Austin, including the Vin Gallery, Arthouse, and Women and their Work.

After a fire at the Guadeloupe Art Center in 2005, I opened Artspoken Gallery to provide studio space for many of the displaced artists and myself. The gallery “presented a much needed gift to a wide range of Austin emerging artists,” according to Bill Oakey in Austin Wide Open magazine. I turned the gallery into a co-op in September of 2007, moved to Juneau in January 2008, and gave the gallery to the resident artists last October.

As an artist who pulls from objects in nature, my decision to move to Juneau was an enthusiastic one. I am stimulated by the details and grandeur of Alaska. Little fragments of Juneau’s landscape I find hiking on trails, or walking on the shoreline I use as the source of my work. I showed my work at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center in September and I am excited to exhibit at Annie Kaill’s for the first time. This past year I also taught painting, drawing, and marionettes at The Canvas.

I feel still connected to Juneau, although I have recently relocated to Washington D.C. with my husband Alan, dog Maple, and cat Onion. All of the pieces in this exhibit were created before I left. In a way, they are tokens of my gratitude for all the kindness we received from the community.

Examples of Karen's current and past work are shown below.

The top two paintings show are examples from Karen's February 2009 exhibit at Annie Kaill's. The exhibit is a collection of recent works in marble dust entitled "Holding onto Juneau." The works are atmospheric and abstract representations of Juneau's myriad landscapes.