Growing up, my artistic view was influenced by the gentle pastoral landscape of orchards and the smal town sensiblility in southwestern Michigan just steps away from Lake Michigan.

After college the spectacular views of New England and Connecticut became home, complete with many trips into New York City to be inspired by the art in the city's many museums.

Cloudscapes, sweeping vistas of open prairies with grand stately oaks inspire me. The peacefullness of Paynes Prairie and Kanapaha Prairie located in north central Florida have been recent oil and pastel studies and paintings .

Each year I make donations of paintings to several community and conservations events:
a park and pavillion fund for the city of Melrose,
UF Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (3 years)
Florida Natural History Museum fundraiser
Strutt Your Mutt fundraiser at the Randy Batista Art Gallery in Gainesville, Florida.

Plein air paint outs include
the Melrose Open Air Arts which benefited
Putnam County Environmental Council
and the Conservation Trust for Florida.

Recently a collector said to me, "Karen, I can't tell you how much I enjoy looking at your beautiful painting every morning. It gives me such pleasure."

What a gift -to paint from the soul and if for only for a few moments spirit the viewer away in a shared moment of meditation and memory.