Karen French – artist/designer/illustrator 

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A self-taught artist, originally from Australia, Karen had an international career in Geosciences before moving to her husband’s hometown of Ilfracombe to raise their family in beautiful North Devon. Her work celebrates local landscapes in a graphic style, with a bright palette and uplifting vibe, and is strongly influenced by her travels, as well as her previous career as a geologist!

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After starting with more traditional printmaking methods she recently moved into digitally created art, making use of various drawing and graphic design software. She enjoys the versatility of this process, producing easily adaptable work for use in illustration and surface pattern design. Karen's ambition has always been to produce high quality art that is affordable and accessible. Creating digitally enables her to produce artwork in a more sustainable manner, reducing excessive use of materials, avoiding waste and overspend.

 

Karen actively collaborates with other local artists and, with the growth in her professional profile, has attracted numerous commissions from a variety of local businesses and community organisations, raising funds for a range of North Devon based charities too.  

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