Karen Bell

Karen brings her respect for the natural world and her love of clay together to form highly realistic sculptures of reptiles, amphibians, insects and bats. She works from drawings, photographs and live models.

Each piece is hand built from stoneware clay then bisque fired. After cooling they are glazed and high fired to 2345 degrees in a gas reduction kiln, using glazes that Karen has designed and mixed herself. Later, low fire glaze details are added and the pieces are fired again to 1816 degrees. Each sculpture is then finished with various inlays of cactus spines, turquoise or other semi-precious stones, porcupine quills, and glass eyes. Each sculpture is an original;one of a kind.

Karen holds a BS degree in Art Education with a concentration in ceramics and art metals from the University of Wisconsin Stout. She works alone in her studio in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Karen has been president of the Madison Potters Guild for 12 years.

Karen's work can be seen at the Artisan Gallery, Paoli, Wisconsin or Wild Side Gallery, Key West, Florida. She shows her work at a variety of Midwestern art fairs.