Karen currently has a collection from her Butterfly Messenger series of collage/rubbings on display at Tin Top. If you haven't seen these gorgeous pieces please come by!
Karen was born and raised in southern
California. Out of high school she attended UCLA as a French major. It
was there she discovered Gustav Klimt, Ernst Haeckel, Egon Schiele,
William Morris and Alponse Mucha and the dormant artist was awakened.
She left UCLA and pursued an independent study program at El Camino
College. She conducted life drawing sessions in her apartment and
surrounded herself with art by working as a framer and in a local art
galleries. As a framer she was introduce to many types of decorative
papers and they began to make their way into her paintings. Soon the
papers took over completely and she developed a highly specialize form
of collage she calls “Paper Mosaics”.
She then began working with interior designers installing “Paper Mosaic”
murals in small interior spaces and eventually gaining representation
at the Pacific Design Center with the Bradbury Collection. This led to
exposure in The House Beautiful Celebrity Design House in 2003, the
Hancock Design House in 2004, and the Pasadena Design House 2008. Her
interior design contacts expanded from there.
As she grew as an artist she became interested in also working with
Lucite. This enabled her have more flexibility when working with
interior designers by installing the Lucite as panels in doors or using
them as partitions. The Lucite has an amazing reaction to light. This is
what Elements Kitchen’s Head Chef Onil Chibas saw when he commissioned
her to do all the work for his new fine dining restaurant, including the
bar area. Her work is currently shown at Cisco Home showrooms in Los
Angeles and Pasadena. And, she is an active member of the Los Angeles
Art Association.
When did you first realize you were an artist?
In College I decided to pursue being an artist.
Why have you chosen your current medium?
I always
loved paper and when I worked as a framer I was exposed to beautiful
decorative papers. I was studying painting at the time and the paper
made its way into my paintings. Soon papers took over completely.
Why do you feel art is important/relevant today?
We are in the age of the creative so people now are looking to the arts for spiritual and intellectual nourishment.
What has been the most difficult challenge for you as an artist?
Becoming a business person and learning to make money with my art.
Is there anything you'd like the public to know about your work upon purchasing it?
That it is my intention when I create it that the piece finds a home and that the owner derives joy in looking at the piece.
What is the most gratifying part of making your work?
The creation process.
Where do you find inspiration?
Nature and patterns and spiritual concepts like transformation (butterflies)!
What's your studio playlist?
Im love Hay House Radio which is a talk show and pandora on world beat or 70s rock.
Where is your studio?
My garage is attached to my house and converted to my studio.
How do you get yourself out of a creative rut?
I have never been there
Favorite blog/movie/tv show/book that never fails to inspire or just clears the mind.
Love
all kinds of movies and tv shows but I mainly read memoir or spiritual
text. Just finished "Unbroken" and always have "the Untethered Soul" or
and Echart Tolle Book nearby.
You have a time machine. Where are you going?
the future. I am obsessed with going into space!
Share a recipe - bonus points if there's a story behind it.
I hate to cook
What's your dream project - if you had all the time and materials in the world?
Build an Eco home on 3 acres of land with chickens and I would rescue grey hounds. I have one already
What artists influence your work - who are your creative idols?
Mary Delany, Rex Ray, Gustav Klimt, Alphonse Mucha, William Morris to name a few.
Describe yourself in 5 words.
seeking, creative, conscious, dreamer, homebody
Tell us something funny that happened recently.
I
was at the International Garden Nursery with my greyhound who is super
docile and sweet. All of sudden he leaped over some hedges and knocked
over something and got tangled! I couldn't image what caught his
attention... There were several chickens running around. Never saw them
there before apparently they escaped from a neighboring home.Thank god
he didn't catch one!
How do you find balance?
Meditate in the morning and before bed
Is there a story behind your blog/shop name?
Paper Mosaic is a descriptive way I work. Thought it was more interesting that
"Collage". Each piece of paper is hand cut and placed one at a time.
What's your typical day?
My
days are flexible. I assist my husband with his work three days a week
and work in my studio and art business the rest. I LOVE having
flexibility.
We're handing you plane tickets to anywhere. Where are you going?
somewhere peaceful and close to nature. Hawaii comes to mind
What's your favorite local haunt?
The art supply store!
