A native of Washington, D.C., Karen has been a lifetime resident of the metropolitan area. From and early age, Karen displayed artistic ability. In high school, at Holy Child in Potomac, Maryland, Karen studied under Heather Nemcosky. She went on to study studio art at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland with well known artists: world renowned minimalist sculptor Anne Truitt, lithographer Igor Stamenic and other well known artists, such as W. C. Richardson, Patrick Craig, Patrice Kehoe and Claudia DeMonte.

As a practicing artist working in a wide variety of media, including portraiture, murals, ceramics and photography, Karen has exhibited her work at galleries such as The West Gallery in College Park, Left Bank Gallery in Washington, D.C., The Audubon Center Gallery in Bethesda, Maryland, The Ocean City Convention Center, Anne Arundel Center for the Arts, Mitchell Gallery in Annapolis, Maryland, The St. John's Art Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, The Strathmore Arts Center in Bethesda, Maryland and won a First Place Award at The Calvert Museum Photography Exhibit.

Karen earned a Masters in Education with a concentration in art from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2004 and taught art in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland through 2012. She also earned a Post Graduate certification in teaching for Autism Spectrum Disorders from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. Among the courses she taught were Drawing and Design, Fundamentals of Art, Darkroom Photography, Ceramics, Studio Art I, II, Advanced Studio Art/Portfolio Development and Digital Art. She chaired the National Art Honor Society at Montgomery Blair High School in 2005 - 2006. She presided over the Art Club at Clarksburg High School for four years.

She has operated a commercial art studio, Insight Art Studio in Olney, Maryland, where she held private art instruction. She has been commissioned to create murals for several schools and public buildings as well as private homes. She currently works out of her studio in Maryland and is available for commissioned portraits and murals. Contact Karen for enquiries: Email.