About Karen

"Thelma is the real star of the show."

Karen is a visually impaired ceramic artist in New Norfolk who recently discovered a deep love of working with clay. With her guide dog Thelma beside her, she has the freedom to get out, gather inspiration, and deliver her pieces around town — turning a new passion into a craft, and maybe a career.

She sees the world a little like a Van Gogh painting — in blobs of colour and shape — and pours that into her work. Her tiny houses are her own takes on the old convict-built cottages she passes on her walks; the industrious, one-of-a-kind spirit of those buildings captured through her limited vision.

Karen has always had a soft spot for animals, and many of her pieces are little portraits of her own crew. She’s also a keen gardener who these days finds as much inspiration in the dirt as in the studio, and she’s always happy to chat with and support others with their own special requirements.

Unique. Handmade. From my hands to yours.

Inspiration

From the menagerie to the mantelpiece

From an orphaned pademelon raised by hand to a rescue chook named Carole, Karen’s animals are woven through her work. Each little ceramic creature carries a bit of the real one’s character — which is exactly why no two ever come out the same.