Karen Skinner-Hellstern

Visual Arts (Watercolor & Mixed Media)

Karen grew up in a family of performing and visual artists, so her passion was instilled at an early age. When asked as a child what she wanted to be when she grew up, she always answered “an artist and an art teacher.”  As a result, she has taught elementary art for nearly 2 decades.  Her family moved often which showed Karen how to embrace life in unfamiliar places. She traveled extensively throughout Asia, Australia, and Europe which she believes provided her with invaluable respect for all cultures and people.

Karen has been a practicing watercolorist since 2009 but also fancies herself a mixed media artist.  She enjoys instructing people of all ages especially children and tries to incorporate many of the artistic styles she learned about in other countries. Karen is a lifelong learner and is currently enrolled in watercolor and pottery classes. Her work is whimsical and fun often involving a lot of color and movement.

Civic Involvement is particularly important to Karen. She has worked in retirement communities, children’s hospitals, the YMCA, juvenile detention centers and created an art program for a residential treatment facility for abused and neglected girls where she taught for 2 years. She loves bringing art to underserved areas and enjoys the friendship and joy that creativity offers.