Artist Biography

Karen Burnette Garner - Artist

Artist Biography

Karen Burnette Garner

Karen Burnette Garner is a native of Georgia and has painted professionally since 1983. Without formal training, she sought instruction from mentor John Baden-Nuttall, an English art master and world traveler, and for three years she studied the creation and business of art. She attended workshops with well-known artists Gerald Brommer, Marilyn Huey Phillis and the late Al Brouillette, and has studied the techniques of artists Ray Ellis and the late Paul Strisik. After twenty years as a professional artist, Ms. Garner has developed her own style and life philosophy, incorporating an appreciation for beauty, creativity, and inspiration into daily living.

Her impressionist landscapes are her signature, portraying rocky New England coastlines and the lowcountry marshes of the American South. A fascination with light and its effects, a love of the land and its heritage, are all reflected in Ms. Garner's work. Since 2002, she has produced a large body of works reflecting the lowcountry surrounding Charleston, SC – her work continues to be avidly collected as a result. She constantly works to expand her artistic horizons, ranging from contemporary impressionism to abstraction in her creative expression.

A published artist and published poet, she continues to evolve as a true renaissance woman. From her beginnings as an oil and acrylic painter, she schooled herself to include handmade pottery and fine jewelry design as media for expression. She recently launched a series of handbuilt pottery bowls, vases and wall reliefs inspired by the ancestral home of the Burnett clan near Aberdeen, Scotland -- Crathes Castle. Whimsical at times, varying in shape and design, each piece is unique. Her fine jewelry rivals top designers, and includes works in silver, pearls, and other natural gemstones. Her handmade stained glass pendants are a favorite of collectors.

Works by Karen Burnette Garner are included in collections worldwide. Public collectors include Thomas and Hutton Engineering (Myrtle Beach, SC), Wachovia, AT&T, Chateau Elan Winery, Holston Valley Hospital, Gwinnett Council for the Arts, and the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education. Private collectors include Mr. And Mrs. Paul Duke, Mrs. Donald Panoz and Mr. Larry "Chipper" Jones of the Atlanta Braves. Gallery representation includes The Treasure Nest Art Gallery, Mount Pleasant, SC, The Left Bank Gallery, St. Simons Island, GA and commissions are accepted through her studio in Dacula, GA

She has taught art through the Gwinnett Supporters for the Gifted program PRISM, and has been a featured illustrator for Avalanche Press, Goodrich, MI. Ms. Garner has been featured in Gwinnett Magazine, Creative Loafing Gwinnett magazine, Carolina Arts, and has appeared on television as an advocate of creative living and artistic expression. She continues to write poetry, create artworks prolifically, and speak publicly on art related subjects and creative lifestyles.

Solo Exhibitions (selected):

"Lowcountry III" Treasure Nest Art Gallery (11/07)

"Lowcountry II” Treasure Nest Art Gallery, Mount Pleasant, SC (11/06)

“Lowcountry – New Works by Karen Burnette Garner” Treasure Nest Art Gallery, Mount Pleasant, SC (11/2005)

“Transitions: New Works by Karen Burnette Garner”, University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education (5/05-6/05) and

Dawson County Council for the Arts, GA (9/05)

“Kaleidoscope” - Historic Courthouse on the Square, Lawrenceville, GA (6/1997)
U.S. Congress District 9 Offices, Atlanta, GA
Vines Botanical Gardens (1990-1992), Loganville, GA
Down Right Theatre, Duluth, GA
Gwinnett Justice and Administration Building, Lawrenceville, GA
”New Works” Humana Hospital, Snellville, GA

(9/1990)
Annual Studio Shows

Group Shows/Awards/Community Service (selected):

Best of the Best of Atlanta Exhibition, Dogwood Festival, Atlanta, GA (1990)

Home for the Holidays National Show, Dawsonville, GA (2004)

Group Show, Darious Gallery, Atlanta, GA (2004)
6th Coastal National, St. Simons Island, GA
8th Coastal National, St. Simons Island, GA
7th Artists National, Mableton, GA
10th National Miniature Show, Mont Alto, PA

“Unique Selections” – (1990-present), Atlanta, GA

American Cancer Society Relay for Life Benefit Shows, GA

“Spotlight on the Arts” Invitational Show --

The Trinity School, Atlanta, GA (annually, 2003 – present)

"Gala Opening" - Kudzu Art Zone, Norcross, GA (5/07)

"Summertime in Norcross" - Kudzu Art Zone, Norcross, GA (10/07)

"Breaking Boundaries" - Kudzu Art Zone, Norcross, GA (12-07) Honorable Mention

"Journeys -- Inside and Out" - Kudzu Art Zone, Norcross, GA (4-08 thru 6-08)

Email: karengarnerartist@yahoo.com