About the artist

Karen has over 30 years of artistic experience, covering beadweaving, bead embroidery, and enjoys working with resin, glass, and metal.  She is both an accomplished artist and a teacher. 

Since 2012, she has devoted her talent to women in a remote jungle village in southern India, teaching them how to beadweave.  The women have their own business, Azhagi Jewelry, and are supported in part by a Stateside 501c3 where their products are sold at speaking events.

Karen has taught at the Bead & Button Show for years, as well as being a guest instructor at local bead shops.  

Karen learned fused glass techniques from Abhilasha Natarajan at the Tracy Arts Center. Through experimenting with glass, Karen invented the curved dichroic bracelet band for bead embroidery, Velvet Glass cabochons, and River Glass cabochons.  Sherry Serafini chose one of Karen's curved dichroic bands to work with and her result was lovely.  

Karen was introduced to the concept of resin with an inner glow in 2018, when she attended a class at Bead & Button taught by Gail Crosman Moore.  Gail's class opened Karen's mind to exploration and experimentation.  Since taking Gail's class, Karen has rediscovered techniques she used in other crafts 27 years ago that just happen to work well with resin to create the illusion that the piece is radiating light that changes color or flashes with movement.  She also uses Gail's techniques with permission in some of her products (the mermaids).  

Karen has continued her exploration of glass and resin and has added hand painting to both mediums.  But her first love will always be bead embroidery.