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Karen Cunningham

Email: artist@timeout.ca

Biography

Karen Cunningham was attracted to art at an early age; after a influential visit to her grandfather, a commercial artist in England.

Since 1975, she has worked as a graphic designer/illustrator for both private firms and her own business Cunningham Design. By developing several illustration styles she worked with a diverse range of clients - wildlife magazines, children’s publications, anatomy/ fitness manuals, corporate training illustrations, courtroom drawing, and various editorial publications. Her clients included Canadian Nature Federation, Nortext Information Design, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation, Consumer Association of Canada, Canadian Heart and Stroke Association, Canadian Public Health Association, Canadian Red Cross, National Research Council, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She finished her commercial art career as a Unit Head in a Government of Canada Multimedia Design Unit and now works as a full-time artist.

Karen’s paintings are spirited in treatment; through both representational and non-objective art she captures her initial reaction to her subject matter and her emotions. Using instinctive gestural brush strokes, bold shapes and translucent colours she manipulates the paint to create passages of energy alongside areas of serenity. Her approach to her painting is by “letting go” and by trusting in what emerges.

Thank-you for viewing my pages. You may also see my work in the Ottawa School of Art boutique, Byward Market.