Born in Marlborough, New Zealand, I've always had a love of animals and wildlife, nature and travel, and have been drawing or creating artwork for as long as I can remember. I'm a self-taught artist, having fully intended to go to Art School after finishing High School, but opting to travel instead. Drawing and painting has recently become a passion once again, it didn't take me long to realise it's just simply what I love to do!! The mediums I work in are pastel, graphite and acrylic. I am constantly inspired by many talented artists and friends from around the globe!

I love to travel and aged 21, I left the shores for the obligatory 2-year Kiwi O.E. (overseas experience), in my case extending to 4 years. Mostly based in the UK, I was lucky to spend most of that time in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland, and also Switzerland and Japan for winter ski seasons. Africa beckoned strongly, and I took an overland safari from Nairobi, Kenya to Capetown in South Africa. Seeing theAfrican wildlife in person is something very special to experience, and I'd love to revisit Africa one day with the aid of a digital camera, instead of the film SLR camera I took back then.

After returning to New Zealand it was discovered the safari truck on which I travelled on in Africa, was part of an arms-smuggling operation for the ANC. The safari company was specifically set up as a front to smuggle arms into South Africa - the passengers literally sitting on a tonne of arms for each of the 40 trips made into the troubled country. The details were revealed in 2001 in a South African television documentary called "The Secret Safari".

A trip to Dubai and India in 2007 was a little less dramatic, but no less exciting! A highlight of the trip being on my absolute last day in India, getting in the river and helping to scrub elephants with a coconut shell, it was such a magical experience! Here is a YouTube video I uploaded "elephant washing experience"

Returning to live in New Zealand after travelling has made me appreciate our beautiful country and I love capturing the ever-changing scenery unfolding around us on camera. Digital photography being a great reference source for the ever-growing wishlist of art subjects inside my head!

It's fantastic to see the endless passion and efforts for animal conservation - the dwindling species through ongoing poaching and man encroaching into these animals' territories is incredibly sad and barbaric. I just hope that through my artwork, I can give something back to help the tireless campaigners and conservationists (see my donations page).

(Pictured at right donating a framed Giclee Print of "Vigilance" to Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch.)

I'm an active member of the Marlborough Art Society and the Pastel Artists of New Zealand. You can find a selection of my paintings at the A.R.T. Gallery in High Street, Motueka.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or simply to say hi, or sign the Guestbook!

Best wishes, Karen

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