Karen is a native Texan, born and raised in Dallas, now living in southern California. Karen started drawing at an early age and was accepted into an honors art class at the age of 13. She has been creating art non-stop since then.

      She first started painting plein air paintings in watercolors on a hillside overlooking Lake Geneva while attending the American College of Switzerland in the summer of 1986. She was influenced by her instructor, Rob Erdle's bright, colorful, whimsical landscapes.

     She graduated from University of North Texas in 1987.

     At 21, she was making her living as an established artist. In September 1990, Karen was juried into a show at the City Art Gallery in Dallas, TX. Then she was invited to show fourteen paintings at the Florence Art Gallery, Dallas, TX 1990 - 1992.

      In 1992, Ms. Brake moved to San Diego and was hired by GTE where she quickly rose to the position of senior artist responsible for the company's marketing design and Internet graphics.

     In 2005, Ms. Brake's professional work was in such demand that she left GTE/Verizon to launch her own successful design firm, Karen Brake Design, Inc. (www.karenbrakedesign.com).

     After completing numerous commissioned paintings and portraits, she jumped back into drawing and started her Jazz Cafe series of musician paintings. In November 2006 she had her first Jazz Cafe show. The show was called "Jazz It Up in November" featuring Jazz music 4 days a week at E Street Cafe in downtown Encinitas, CA.

Education:

  * Workshops: Greg LaRock, Debra Huse, Richard Morris

   * Studies at Studio 2nd Street in Encinitas, CA, with Ron and Vanessa Lemen and Watts Atelier in Encinitas, CA

  * Apple Regional Multimedia Center, TX, January 1991 to August 1992, Certificate of Computer Graphics in    
    Multimedia.

  * University of North Texas State, Denton, TX, September 1984 to August 1987
     Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree;
     Major: Advertising Art, Dean's List.

   * American College of Switzerland, Leysin, Switzerland.
     Studied art history and plein air painting in Geneve, Paris, Monaco, Venice, Florence, and Monet's Gardens,
     Summer with Rob Erdle 1986.

 Professional Affiliations:

  * Laguna Plein-Air Painters Association

  * Southern California Plein Air Painters Association