About Karenmartinpaints.com

​​From the mundane to the extraordinary, I see beauty everywhere. As an artist, I have lived many lives. Now painting expresses my passion and creativity. I picked up a paintbrush for the first time in 2019 during an ice storm and I have not put my paintbrush down. I take great pride in my work and simply paint what makes me happy. My goal is to achieve whatever I am visualizing.

I am a self-taught acrylic mixed media artist who works on canvas, fabric, paper, and wood—often incorporating vintage finds. My passion lies in painting expressive female faces that evoke emotion and draw interest. I begin with a mental image and let the process unfold naturally, choosing colors intuitively as I work. I’m especially drawn to bold, saturated hues, which I often build up around the face to create vibrancy and depth. Texture and movement are important elements in my work, and I strive to blend them into each piece. My current focus is on a more modern, emotionally driven style, where structure takes a back seat to feeling. When a piece finally comes together, you’ll find me in my studio doing my happy dance.

My whole life I have followed my heart and being creative has given me much joy. Only in finding and recognizing your true self will you feel the freedom and happiness of your soul. I learned early on to “Be Who You Are. Do What You Love.” The happy heart creates much love and acceptance around them. Be thankful and grateful and enjoy your blessing because being an artist is a true calling. In addition, to my canvas creations, I also transform fabric into art pieces that I attach to vintage handbags, which is one of my favorite activities. The thrill of discovering and reimagining vintage finds brings me immense joy. Having always had a passion for collecting vintage purses, I have woven them into my artistic practice. Each of my unique handbags reflects the timeless elegance and subtle grace of bygone eras and now I am embracing a more contemporary artistic direction as well. Collectors have described these pieces as whimsical, fun, original, and effortlessly elegant.

I believe that art is a divine gift that has the power to uplift, fortify, and comfort our spirits. When artists recognize and nurture this gift, they can produce their finest work and inspire others along their own creative paths. I aspire for everyone with a creative aspiration to pursue their passion. Regardless of the direction your inspiration takes you, the world greatly benefits from more individuals chasing their dreams and motivating those around them.