Collection: Karen Xarchos

Karen grew up in a rural setting on the outskirts of Ottawa, Ontario.  She spent her formative years immersed in the beauty of nature – a sensory experience she brings to her work.

Fascinated by art for as long as she can remember, Karen began drawing by the age of three and painted with watercolours and oils throughout her childhood.  Painting opens a door to another world for her – where the ordinary becomes interesting and strangers become friends.

Karen is self-taught, and believes an artist is never finished learning. To her, growing as an artist is a life long journey that never gets old.

Some of her favorite schools of art include: Baroque, Pre-Raphaelite, Impressionism and Contemporary Realism. Together, these have inspired Karen’s own “painterly representational” style. In her work, Karen often combines her images with simplified, abstracted backgrounds – at times blending tonalist and colourist approaches.

Favorite themes are animals, figurative work and motorcycles (since becoming an avid sport motorcyclist). Past projects include personal portraits, commissions for interior designers and numerous murals in both public and private spaces.

Karen’s work has been published in two internationally respected hardcover books:  Acrylic works 3, The Best of Acrylic Painting and Art Journey Animals, A Collection of Inspiring, Contemporary Masterworks. Additionally, she is a two-time winner of the Village of Richmond Heritage Mural Project. 

Happiest with a brush or pencil in her hand, Karen can usually be found in her studio in the Town of Perth, ON.