Karen Conley grew up in western PA, re-located to Las Cruces, NM in the 80s, and then left for 28 years before returning to the land of enchantment to start an art career. After a full life in the Army, she returned to New Mexico State University to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).
Although Karen considers herself a multi-media artist she has gravitated to painting using oil as her main medium. In the past year, she has experimented using different surfaces to include plexiglass and cardboard and realized that the application of the paint on the surface excites her most while she is working.
She has been influenced by other figurative artists and those that push the boundaries of portrait work.