Artistic History

Portion of "Dreaming of a Summer's Day" SOLD

"I celebrate the art of imperfection that is the result of layering paint to achieve a balance of color and texture. My canvas rarely ends up where it started."

Waiting for Answers 16x20

Like Odilon Redon “I await joyous surprises while working, an awakening of the materials
that I work with and that my spirit develops”.

Reflections of a Summer's Day SOLD

Karen has a passion for pursuing creativity in all aspects of her life. She has been taking art classes and workshops since 1968 beginning at the Carmel School in Carmel, CA and then Callenwolde in Atlanta studying ceramics. She has a minor in Art from Western Carolina University concentrating on weaving. While working on her Masters at WCU she took up the art of papermaking to keep her creative juices flowing. Her next artistic exploration was in applying paint in textural layers, synthesizing and adapting lessons learned from her many sources. The outcomes on her canvas and paper can evoke impressions of what lies beneath the surface.

Tallulah Gallery in Tallulah Falls, GA
Catawba Gallery and Kiln Time in Black Mountain
The Aiken Artist Guild, (1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Awards)
Aiken Center for the Arts, The Artists' Parlor, The Hitchcock Center and the Etheredge Center at USC Aiken, Aiken Historical Museum
The Screen Door in Asheville
Art with Heart in Saluda, NC
The TAAS Gallery in Old Fort, NC
Atelier24 Lexington in Asheville, NC
Tryon Fine Art Center, Tryon, NC
Sourwood Gallery, Black Mountain, NC
Red House Studios and Gallery, Black Mountain NC
Black Mountain Center for the Arts
Arrowhead Gallery & Studios, Old Fort NC
The Monte Vista Hotel Gallery, Black Mountain, NC
The Garden Spot, Art and Crafts Gallery, Fairview NC

Juried Shows and Awards

Piedmont Park Arts Festival
Published three times in "Sommerset Studio" an international paper arts magazine.
2008 Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League Juried Show at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts.
2009 SVFAL Juried Show (2nd Place Award)
2010 Juried Show Tryon Painters & Sculptors
2010 SVFAL Juried Show at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts
2010 Bascom Gallery Invitational (Higlands NC)
2011 Bring Us Your Best, Henderson Co Arts Council
2012 1st Place in Mixed Media, SVFAL 45th Annual
2012 SVFAL Juried Exhibit at Black Mountain Center for the Arts
2014 Black Mountain Center for the Arts "Art in Bloom" Gallery Show
2016 Arrowhead Gallery "Best in Show" Bring us Your Best.
2016 Black Mountain Center for the Arts "Art in Bloom" Gallery Show
2017 Received Best in Category in WNC regional show!
2020 Arrowhead Juried Show Honorable Mention
2020 Black Mountain Center for the Arts Juried Show
Published in Asheville Made Magazine October 2020

2014 Black Mountain Center for the Arts "Art in Bloom" Gallery Show SOLD

Karen's works are currently found at:

Arrowhead Gallery in Old Fort, NC
The Garden Spot in Fairview, NC
The Red House Gallery in Black Mountain
The Monte Vista Hotel in Black Mountain

2016 Black Mountain Center for the Arts "Art in Bloom" Gallery Show

As a mixed-media artist using paint, collage and found objects, I like to explore dimensions of creativity in an intuitive way, giving context to universal concepts, archetypes and cultural traditions.

By drawing on my lifelong experience with ceramics, weaving, basket making, paper-making and painting, I create pieces of art with multi-layer textural effect and design. I invite you to look beneath the surface and discover the impression of mystery!