Karen lives on the Central Coast of New South Wales,
having recently returned home after 15 years living in Europe.
She studied Screen Printing at Ultimo TAFE and has
a career spanning almost 30 years in screen printing,
sign writing and graphic design.
She began painting in 2008 as part of her rehabilitation
from an injury that damaged the nerves at the top of her spinal cord, and
her watercolour work ‘The Devil’s Marbles’
was exhibited as part of the CALAT Summer Exhibition in London that year.
Painting with watercolours and living in London meant that
Karen was soon romanced by the works of Turner. The painter
of light became an allegory for her recovery. Amongst the
heavy, low-hanging clouds of Britain, the light he portrayed
gave her hope despite her life-changing injuries.
Happily, she recovered enough to return to Australia
at the end of 2014.
Now captivated by the beauty of light back in Australia,
Karen has discovered a new found love of painting with oils.
In 2016
Karen won the 'Packer's Choice' Prize in the Newcastle Emerging Artists Prize
, as well as
earning a 'Commended' award in the Finite Gallery Art Prize.
In December 2016 she showed several works as part of a group exhibition,
'The Caves Beach Genteel Ladies Painting and Tea Society Inaugural Exhibition',
hosted by
Leslie Duffin's wonderful
Finite Gallery.
In 2017, for the second year running, Karen was selected as a finalist in the Newcastle Emerging Artists Prize, when the judges over-ruled the initial Selection Panel and added her painting ‘Purity’ to the list of finalists.