Karen Hollingsworth began her art career as a portrait painter. Essentially self taught she completed hundreds of portraits and may have continued in this direction if she had not been introduced to eBay by a close friend and fellow artist. He had begun to sell his artwork on the site and his success convinced her to follow his lead. This new venue provided her with the opportunity unleash her creativity and explore other genres. 

She was extremely successful on the site and when she had a few hundred sales under her belt she felt it was time to seek gallery representation. On a cold call to one of Atlantas finer galleries she received this very encouraging response from the gallery owner, “If your original paintings look like theses photos of your work, l will make your career”. Karen’s lifelong dream had begun, and in the years that followed her work would come to be represented by numerous fine art galleries throughout the United States.

Her subject matter has evolved over the years, but each new direction was built upon the previous. The still life grew to include the entire room, which then expanded to include the outside world through a window. She eventually titled this series of unique light, airy paintings “WindowScapes”. For Karen, “a painting is all about the feeling it evokes, and although there are no figures present in these WindowScapes, it is difficult to deny the implications of vacant chairs in an empty room”. 

Seeking a break from these very large canvas’s she returned to the still life and discovered a love for the humble paper bag and cardboard box. Combining both with a world of varied subjects. Today her work has taken on a new look with the addition of a black background and the frequent use of surrealistic themes. She has also recently embraced a new “humble” subject that opens up a lot of possibilities, the vintage suitcase. 

Karen’s fertile imagination continues to evolve as do her skills as a painter, and there’s no telling where these may lead her next.