Karen is currently active with her local Buellwood Weaver’s guild as well as the Finnish American Folk School. Her work is represented and available at Aura Design Collective in L’Anse, MI., and through her Etsy site- BarksnRoots. She has taught at Conventions, guilds, and Folk Schools across the country for the last 30 years, most recently at the Barks and Roots Symposium in Hancock, MI. Karen’s work has also been published in: 500 Baskets A Celebration of the Basketmaker’s Art, Weaving History A Basket Heritage Project (Where her baskets are included in the collection at MSU Museum), National Basketry Organization’s - All things Considered VII, and their spring 2014 Magazine, and most recently, the Voyage Michigan Magazine.
Karen began making baskets in 1983 with a focus on mixed media natural materials. She has harvested and prepared barks, roots and fibers form the start, sparking a life long love of naturals. The combination of other textile, metalworking, embroidery and lacemaking techniques enhance her work. Most recently she has been experimenting with botanical printing on barks and new cordage applications.
“As a mixed-media fiber artist focused on basketry, I am inspired by the abundance of natural material that surrounds me, driven to experiment with barks, roots, and fibers that lend themselves to textile applications.”
