Karen Knutson

Like most artists, I started painting traditional watercolors, wanting my paintings to look like my subject. Lately, all that has changed. I now try to make my paintings unique and it’s unimportant whether the painting resembles the subject or not. It is my hope that you’ll be drawn to my paintings by their colors and by the peaceful nature of my work.

I started my journey in watercolor in 1985, and have been painting almost every day since that time. I truly love being an artist and feel very blessed to actually get paid to do something that I love so much. My routine consists of teaching workshops, participating in art fairs in the summer months, and painting commission paintings and original paintings for the galleries in the winter months.

I attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and have taken many watercolor workshops from nationally known artists, such as Karlyn Holman, Mary Ann Beckwith, Gerald Brommer, Nita Engle, Barbara Nechis, John Salminen, and Diane Faxon. I have taken countless more workshops, but the ones mentioned are the ones that had the greatest influence over the direction of my artwork. I will always be eternally grateful to my first watercolor instructor, Raghnild Berstol, whose positive comments and free spirited demonstrations headed me in the right direction and I’ve been addicted to watercolor ever since.

Originally from a ranch in Montana, I now reside in Minneapolis with my husband of 30 years. We have two children who are grown up and on their own. We love to visit Lake Superior and the North Shore as much as possible. It’s a favorite, inspirational spot to paint. I’ve painted countless images of that shoreline and Split Rock Lighthouse, too.