Karen’s rich, earthy palette is drawn from her life in Africa, and is now complimented with vibrant blues, greens and whites from the ocean, reflecting her California lifestyle. Her subject matter ranges from horses, trees, birds, and landscapes, to lovers, beaches and sailboats and are a tapestry of her experiences and imagination. She travels to Africa twice yearly, participating in extended rides across the Namib desert of Namibia, or up the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape with her sister. Travels to Europe, daily hikes in the Santa Barbara mountains, and a love of animals, Nature and life in general, are reflected in Karen’s painting – and there is usually a story behind each piece. She uses colors and shapes that evoke emotions. Her paintings have been described as “primitive, yet sophisticated”, “medicinal”, “healing,” “comforting” and “peaceful”. They can be found in homes from Los Angeles to New York, South Africa, Europe, South America, Mexico, Australia and Morocco.

Karen paints mostly in acrylic and mixed media at her Santa Barbara studio, surrounded by her dogs, and usuallylistening to the music of Van Morrison.

“I paint from my heart. My paintings are about love.”