Mixed media

   Windswept fields, summer rains, cloudless days, ripening wheat, the sun, the shade, and the forms of trees close by or distant, a few of my favourite things. The lands we live in, and near, are part of us. I represent the land around us in an expressive, gestural fashion. Dense colour and vibrant hues render the verdant, ever changing landscape we call home. This series, expresses the sentimental values of our environment. Works on canvas, paper and board, they reveal themselves in many forms, large and small, thin, wide, tall...

Undulating Keys

Jazz was the inspiration for my first "Undulating Keys," commissioned by the National Arts Centre, in 2010, to accompany Ruth Abernathy's bronze sculpture of Oscar Peterson. Composed of many pieces, large and small, the work snakes and swirls. As the keys move in a playful dance full of rhythm and vitality, they create a song picture of striking monumentality, and speak of the power of music to engage us.

Riverstones

Water. The stuff of life. 

These paintings are a continuation of my lifelong study of water, and the stones beneath its surface. 

Here, I am intent upon relatively calm water's surface. Surface reflections combine with shaded areas to reveal what is below. Deep, rich colours complement gentle rhythmic undulations. Contrast creates heat. Contemplation and simplification resolve the mystery of the surface.

The accumulation of water washed stones tells us of time and the irrefutable strength and power of stones. 

These basic elements struggle to live in harmony, soothing, rubbing and, to us, timeless. They share a dimension. They seem immortal, yet, each stone’s individuality can be examined. Who has not felt compelled to pick up and examine a washed stone? The water laughs, menaces, pleads, caresses and more. It can entice us to fall under its hypnotic spell. We fall into it. We are lulled. 

We can dream our dreams.

Watercolours

The play of light and of the workings of time on our buildings has always fascinated me. The colours and light of maritime or southern climes are particularly useful. Full sun and weather tells on even our most vigilant house painter.

I use walls, windows, gates and doors as a kind of societal litmus, to capture that place where time brushes up against civilization. Worn shutters and gates all tell a story. Dappled light entrances us. A curtain blowing in the breeze entices the imagination. Our mind can wander through the opening and be free to find our own fantasies.

Delicate tones and dramatic shadows come into play, exciting or calming the viewer.

Somehow, a pause is depicted.

Theatre and murals

 Since 1997 Karen has painted both English and French theatre sets at our National Arts Centre in Ottawa. As Head Scenic Artist, since the year 2000, she has created hard sets, floors, and canvass backdrops, cut and translucent drops, and scrims of many sizes and styles. Her skills make use of a wide variety of classical and creative theatrical techniques. 

She has helped to create new exhibits in venues like the Museums of Nature, Science and Technology and Civilization, as well as for the Museum of Federation, and the National Gallery . She has had an opportunity to work with many of the top set designers in Canadian theatre, museum display and television. As a direct result of this experience, her own work has taken on a monumental scale.

Reproductions

My Giclee type reproductions are done on acid free heavy-weight paper, using archival inks to ensure their longevity. They range in price from 25-$200, depending upon the size. 

Large Paintings

My large watercolours on paper are a result of the years of experience with the medium. Measuring approximately 33” x 45”, they dress out to about 4x5 feet once framed. 

Mixed media pieces are done on canvas, and are stretched as wall pieces, or floor coverings. Floor cloths are traditional theatrical devices, at once transportable, and sealed for foot traffic. I have created many different floor imagery in my years as a scenic (theatre) artist. The subject matter is only bound by our imagination. Commissions are welcome. 

Photography

 She is not a photographer per se, but Karen uses her camera to record as well as to create. Her Alternative Photography, in the form of Polaroid image and emulsion transfers was her main creative tool for many years. Her expression of her love of antique Bermuda architecture is expressed with Black and White hand painted photographs. Images transferred to rice paper became a series investigating the Chinese I Ching as imagery.