Guirlande de Fleurs

Oil on linen
80cm x 65cm

Karen, born in Yorkshire, studied art at the Batley School of Art & Design, interior design at the Metropolitan University of Manchester, portraiture at the Studio Escalier, Paris and Charles H. Cecil Studios, Florence.

After her studies, Karen worked in Hong Kong as an interior architect with international architectural practices in South East Asia. Upon moving to France and raising 3 children, Karen realised that her true passion was art which led her to painting full time in 2019.

Karen’s portraits are colourful, playful, original and usually with a powerful composition.

Karen’s oil paintings, since painting full time, have been exhibited with the Society of Graphic Fine Art, Royal Society of British Artists, Society of Women Artists, New Light Art Prize, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and has been elected Associate Member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art. Karen is a winner of the Holly Bush Emerging Woman Painter Overseas Prize.

This portrait is inspired by Karen’s model and muse, Caroline and a recent trip to the local art gallery.

‘We were immediately drawn to the darkened purple room displaying 17th Century paintings. The ‘Guirlande de Fleurs’, painted by Gaspar Pierre Verbruggen (the young) 1664 – 1730 was magnificent and Karen found that when standing in front of the painting, the red hair of Caroline and the flowers surrounding her acted like a frame and crown.

This portrait was inspired by the visit, painted in Karen’s studio with Caroline as a direct reference. After a few sketch studies, the painting has been drawn onto linen canvas, followed by a light Grisaille and painted with fine layers of oil paint.’