After a multiple award-winning career as a graphic designer in advertising and publishing, Karen began pursuing watercolor painting. Since 2016, she has attended several watercolor classes and workshops taught by Gail Johannes, Eric Wiegardt, Birgit O'Connor, Ron Stocke, Rick Surowicz and Thomas Schaller. She also attended Plein Air Live 2020 and Watercolor Live 2021, virtual art conferences. She has participated in twenty-five art exhibits from Spokane and the surrounding area to the west side of Washington State. Mostly inspired by nature, Karen's watercolor paintings reflect her interest in remote places in the outdoors, as experienced on hiking and bike trails, as well as national, state and city parks, and botanical gardens. Karen is an active member of Spokane Watercolor Society and Northwest Watercolor Society. She served as chairperson for the Spokane Watercolor Society 2020 Open Juried Show as well as designing publicity for their watercolor exhibits. Currently she is the workshop chair and board member for Northwest Watercolor Society.

I spend many hours yearly on hiking and bike trails, photographing and doing on-site studies to later use in my watercolor compositions. As a watercolor artist, I combine color and design to create unique artistic expressions based on my experiences exploring nature. Because words alone cannot express my feelings of elation when viewing breathtaking scenery, I try to convey those emotions in my paintings.