Karen, in her own words:
I trained as a silversmith, graduating in 1983. My love for making images together with a love for working with metal has settled in a place where I do both. The metal work, which is precise and unforgiving, helps me to stand back and reflect while paintings are in progress.
My interest is in exposure, extremes and changes brought about by the elements, I re-use paint peeled from yesterday’s palette to create texture, avoid the environmental impact of discarded paint, and to keep a connection with what went before. I like the idea that each image is like the verse of a song or a chapter in a book but not the whole story. Using words or found objects invokes fragments of collective memory.
The organic textures, marks and shapes of the jewellery reflect the landscape where I live and throughout Scotland. Rock faces, tree bark, bursting hedgerows. I use traditional making methods and experiment with new materials and concepts, bringing the two together.
Karen is also having an exhibition of her paintings later this year, details will follow.