Bio

A Florida native, Karen Koegel was raised in Miami and at 17 attended the University of Florida.  Her passion for UF and the Gainesville area was immediate. Soon after getting her Masters at Wake Forest, she returned to the UF as a Dorm Administrator. Though she has had many careers, Special Education teacher, Professional Organizer-Appearing on “Oprah” as a guest expert on “Organizing Your Life”, and realtor, she always believed that she was an artist.

In 2010, Karen moved back to Gainesville. She helped rebuild the Gainesville Fine Arts Association and was President for 5 years, while also directing the GFAA Winter Fine Arts Fair at Tioga, and becoming an avid abstract artist…..Life full circle.

“As a self-taught artist, I have explored various mediums, styles, textures, and layering.  Since this is my journey, I always look forward to more discovery, to challenging myself, to continually find ways to elevate the message that the viewer sees.”

Over the past 7 years Karen's work has been recognized with over 16 awards. Recently, The Collage Artists of America show accepted 150 pieces out of 350 entered and 3 of them

were Karen's. 

Artist Approach

As artists we, often face the canvases of work we did not find someone to love.  They line our hallways or studios as reminders.  Sometimes we choose to paint over and begin again.  In this case, Karen decided to take her work and add life to them through collage.  She saw an opportunity to lift them to another level. She either Upcycled or creatively transformed pieces of her work into a new look.

This new energy has also stimulated original collage pieces from real life and not so real life.  She truly embraced the concept of collage, which she feels is a unique and artistic way to tell a story, often one which creates itself through the process.

“My art embraces who I am, there is always more than you see.

My work is a true reflection of my life, as I have never been one to stay within the lines.”   

Karen Koegel