KAREN OFFUTT	Karen Offutt

Karen Offutt was born and raised in Dallas, Texas by a                       
creative family who encouraged her to explore her
artistic talent from an early age. Her father is an
artist and her mother is a designer and owner of a
needlepoint company. Throughout her formative years,
Karen excelled in art classes and participated in
several art exhibits. She studied at North Texas State
University in search of a more formal fine arts
education. As a young adult she sought a more serious
outlet for her talent. The turning point in her career
came when she made the decision to study abroad and
committed herself to becoming a fine artist.
As so many artists before her had done, Karen left
home to live and paint in Paris, France for three
years.  While there she spent a considerable amount of
time in galleries and museums where she was exposed to
an abundance of art genres ranging from classical to
contemporary.  Immersing herself completely in her
craft, Karen painted with local artists and also
attended classes and the Academie de Beaux Arts. 
Much of her work today is reflective of the time she
spent painting and living in Paris.

Now working from her studio in Austin, Karen
approaches her paintings with an atmospheric
sensitivity combining shape, tone line, and color. 
The inspiration of her preferred subject matter comes
from daily life, where the awareness of her
surroundings is embodied in her work.  This is most
evident with the urban landscapes where individuals
interact in natural settings.  Nothing is staged, and
the expressions are honest and without reservation.

“As and artist, I am very aware of my environment
which invites me to be a constant observer.  I see
potential in everything and my emotional reaction
guides me to the specific inspiration.  There are
different aspects to my painting, for example
technical skill, creative freedom and emotional truth.
My goal is to create work that guides all these
elements in a direction that moves me.