Wandering the world as a child, Karen grew up looking for a place of peace. Pleasing others occupied most of her time and energy. Happily, she acquired the basics in visual art before an Honours French Degree from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and a Professional A Teaching Certificate from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Never far from the creative world she also developed several competencies including drawing, oils, watercolours, acrylics and mixed media. Leaving the expectations of others behind with the encouragement of her husband and her four children she opened a cute gallery, “Inspirations”, adjoining her working studio in Edmonton, Alberta. Having learned to search within she now endeavours to inspire more caring concern for our world through her work by blending religious and scientific thought. The two form an alliance, a divine dance, in which everything has its place. Life is good.
About
The beauty of the natural world has often left me breathless. To know the visual is a false representation of what is, intrigues me. I see order. Beneath this order swirl innumerable invisible masses of electrons and neurons with more space than mass. And so, in my work I begin with chaos. Canvas is covered with a light coat of molding paste into which I fashion texture using ordinary tools such as fine-tooth combs, bottle lids and plastic onion bags. Once this surface is dry I add multiple layers of thin acrylic paint allowing each colour to gather in random places. Next, I throw liquid pigments at the surface encouraging it to wallow and run. Into this chaos I infuse order using carefully selected spaces as I create what appears to be a landscape. The process feels divine. Spiritual symbols abound in a subtle attempt to call attention to the need for balance, respect and limits within the abundance surrounding us. A poem peeks out of the surface along with a Bible quote focusing on the same message: love is the answer. Together we can create Heaven on Earth.