Collection: Paper Den

Karen is a mother of two children and works part-time in the heritage sector in the field of art conservation. She has always loved drawing and painting, but only started as a professional artist and illustrator with her company Paper Den in 2016. A 'den' is an English term for a quiet room in your home where you can retreat to be creative. In her Paper Den, Karen works only by hand and uses her favorite media of watercolor, ink, gouache, pens and pencils, separately or in combination with each other.

Karen grew up in Perth, Western Australia and emigrated to the Netherlands in the 1990s, where she has spent most of her adult life. Even though she has now been granted Dutch citizenship, she is still inspired by the flora and fauna of Australia, a subject that is often reflected in her work. Karen's illustrative style is bold, colorful and textural and sometimes includes complex line work. She also enjoys creating abstract artworks to explore the effects of watercolor and ink on paper and various surfaces.

In addition to her freelance practice, Karen also gives online and offline illustration workshops and courses. De Drawing Table online is a monthly drawing course that can be followed via a closed Instagram account @de_tekentafel. Every month a different theme is discussed and different materials and techniques are used. Every month there are three drawing or painting assignments, a tutorial on a certain technique, a live drawing session, tips and a giveaway. When the month is over, the assignments are still available via a special URL. The Paper Den website also contains a number of free online workshops, including those created in collaboration with Dille & Kamille, plus information about offline workshops.