The tradition of painting miniatures began during the Renaissance Era long before the camera was invented. A miniature is defined as no larger than 5 by 7 inches, often small enough to fit in a locket.
Karen has taken the idea of miniatures in a unique direction, painting on preserved oak and maple leaves. She works with magnification aids and a 10 zero brush to depict exquisite detail in a few square inches. Karen has an Associate of Arts Degree and has studied with several prominent painters. She works for the Department of Natural Resources. Accordingly her subjects are of wild animals and birds. She is very closed mouthed about the process she uses to preserve the leaves. She just smiles and says, “trade secret along with a registered copyright”.
Karen also paints on turkey feathers and wants it known that she does not kill the birds in order to obtain feathers. She wants to draw attention to the precious creatures she depicts – not to cause them harm. It must be noted that many birds are protected and it is illegal to possess or sell their feathers without a federal permit. Turkey feathers are among the few where feathers are legal for free use.
Karen has been honored with awards and invitations to exhibit her work throughout Minnesota and Texas. With gallery representation, her works have been sold to people throughout the United States and abroad. Proud moments were publication of her paintings in the magazine, Finns and Feathers in 1984 and in the magazine, Lake Country Journal in 1997. She is active with several arts organizations.
