Growing up as an Air Force brat, Karen lived in Japan, Turkey, and Germany and after retiring from teaching choral music for 30 years, she taught in Thailand. She earned a Masters in Music and in 1996 she began the study of watercolor and drawing at the Art Students League of Denver. She painted alla prima the portrait, figure, plein aire and still life for many years, changing her medium to oil. The free-flowing hand movements she used as a choral conductor are similar to the brushstrokes she makes in her art. Karen carried this technique into her study of abstract art with Homare Ikeda, after returning from living in Southern CA for 9 years where she had a viable art career. She is a member of several art associations in Colorado, and has been represented by Next, Abend and Gallery at Studio J. She is juried into local shows with her works in oil, acrylic on canvas and multimedia on paper. She is now studying monotype printing with Mark Lunning.

"To sincerely express through my painting that which I see in people and nature, in the most colorful and rhythmic manner, is my ultimate goal in art."