When Karen picked up pastels again in 2005, it had been two decades since she’d last painted. As a mother of two, she had spent the previous twenty years raising her children and a career in childcare and education. To keep herself accountable and to overcome the learning curve that came with picking up a new medium, she committed to posting a new painting daily on her artist’s website and quickly developed both her skill and a community of artists around her.

 

Karen uses her story to inspire students to recognize their own inherent potential as artists. She is a devoted traveler and nature lover, and often paints from pictures she has taken after visiting the National Parks when she is not teaching pastel workshops.