ARTIST MEMBER Karen Hughes

My art reflects a life filled with an active appreciation of small details–things that lift you up when you take time to notice and focus on them. I’m incredibly lucky to have a chance to bring form to my imagination. In fact, I often feel like creativity is shooting from my fingertips in my shop and studio, where I carve, saw and paint wood sculptures that are happy, quirky, and unique.

I’m a self-taught woodworker, and think of my style as modern folk art. To support the painterly side of my art, I’ve taken non-credit drawing and painting courses through the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, and attended additional painting and composition workshops taught by several community artists. I’m currently enrolled in the upcoming ACE Watercolor Basics class, and looking forward to better understanding a medium I’ve only played around with in the past.

Until our move, I was an active member of the Cedarburg Artists Guild, serving several years on the Board of Directors as membership chair, Plein Air event co-chair, consultant for website maintenance and support, and enthusiastic volunteer for all events. I enjoyed the community and camaraderie of my fellow artists at least as much as the creative process itself!

Although there were few juried wood events near my Wisconsin home, I was selected for participation in the 2022 John Michael Kohler Arts Center Ingrained in Wisconsin exhibition. My work was curated and sold by the Pink Llama Art Gallery, as well as at the Cedarburg Cultural Center arts exhibits.