Karen was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in the early 50's. Her childhood was spent in both Massachusetts and Maine. Portland, Maine became her home for high school years, living right on the Casco Bay. Summers were sometimes spent at Nantasket Beach, in Massachusetts, Old Orchard Beach, in Maine, or in the woods of Millinocket, Maine. Whether hiking Mt. Katahdin, dancing in ballet classes, or ice skating on any frozen park or rink, movement was always a joy.
College came, and the emergence of computers, complex software, and the practicalities of adult life. Karen studied math and computer science. She wanted to be prepared to earn a living in a growing field, where jobs would be plentiful. Visualizing the execution of computer software as trees and pathways helped her be successful in that field. Art had to be in the background of her life until she was able to work part-time as a senior software engineer.
High school summers spent in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, were a strong influence on Karen's art. She studied the rhythms, and undercurrents in waves, and patterns in sand. She had always been very impressed with Degas' dancers and Renoir's figures. But they felt too static once her own hand held a brush. Water movement and changing light was what really fascinated her. The challenge of capturing them, portraying them as they are in a given moment, became her passion.
Karen hosts the Golden Cypress Gallery. This gallery pops up several weekends a year to provide a venue for Karen and other artists of all kinds to exhibit and sell their work.
Her work can be found in many private collections.