Karen Edwards

Karen Edwards was born in Lambeth, 1961.

She studied fine art at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne between 1980 and 1984 under Professor Norman Adams graduating with a first class honours degree. During this time she was awarded the John Christie scholarship The Hatton Prize 1983 and the Annabel Winship Smiles travelling scholarship.

After Art College Karen travelled extensively throughout Africa and the Far East. She has lived in such countries as Cameroon, Vietnam, Thailand, Kenya and on a small island called Kiribati in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

She now lives in Bristol and works from her studio in Jamaica Street. Karen draws inspiration from the many walking trips she takes around Cornwall and the South West. Armed with a sketch pad, pencil and camera Karen gathers her material raw from nature. Using oil she then transfers these images onto canvas that capture the drama of the ever changing skies, the peace and power of the ocean or the isolation of a rugged coastline coated in the soft mists of rainfall. Her cityscapes are created without depicting the usual rush and bustle, instead her characters seem to float, often with their backs to us, against an almost dreamlike backdrop of buildings.

Karen’s work has been on show during her 3 one man shows and 2 joint exhibitions in Bristol over the last ten years. She has also shown in other parts of the country as well as abroad. In 2004 she was elected as a member of the RWA and regularly shows at the academy in Bristol.