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Karen Stene was born, raised and educated in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Having been born into a creative family that includes photographers, opera singers, lecturers and architects, her artistic talent was recognized and encouraged to develop at an early age. After graduating from the University of British Columbia, a career in modeling fueled Karen’s love of travel and enabled her to pursue artistic studies at the Emily Carr Art Institute in Vancouver and the Institute d'Allende School of Art in San Miguel, Mexico.

An irrepressible wanderlust transports Karen Stene to the far reaches of the world and her artistic talent carries the viewer along for the journey. "One witnesses an excitement and depth of color when surrounded by a horizon of blue, an ocean of silk in India and Thailand, or a vegetable market in Corsica. Having traversed the globe on a beautiful self-built sailboat, Karen finds inner peace on the sea where she is mesmerized by the depth of color and ever-changing light which inspires sensations that find a home on her lavish canvases. Taking a landscape from the Spanish coast, columns from a palace in India or a loggia from an Italian palazzo, Karen Stene combines elements from world travels to create one perfect place. Gold, bronze and silver leaf is often added to give the paintings old world quality with a luxurious glint.

The award winning work of Karen Stene has been exhibited and collected around the globe. The artist has been honored with

numerous solo shows and has affiliations including the Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton Museums of Art, the Palm Beach County Cultural

Council, the Federation of Canadian Artists and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Karen's works are unique to most other artists' in the industry. She enhances each piece by hand, with gold leafing. With this procedure, Karen is able to give "life" to her images, as they appear to change

with the sunlight, throughout the day.