Working with embroidery, sashiko, and mixed media, Karen explores themes of mental health, neurodivergence, and resilience. Her tactile pieces reflect a search for light, colour, and meaning through hidden images and liminal spaces, drawing on the human impulse to find patterns and faces — to create meaning even in disorder.

Her work has appeared in local galleries, private collections across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and South Africa, and in a permanent ceiling installation in the children’s ward at her local hospital for over 15 years. She teaches classes, accepts commissions, and creates with the belief that creating beauty is an act of courage.

Her motto: “When you are falling — dive.”