Karen Leffler discovered a passion in watercolor only three years ago when a friend invited her to "tag along" on a plein aire outing at Lake Tahoe. Being an outdoor enthusiast, Karen was thrilled at the idea of being outside and inspired by a group of watercolor artists. Little did she know that paper and brush would be put in her hands with the direction "Of course, if you are with us, you must paint"! Karen's reply was "OH NO – I don't paint! My artistic talents are in quilting, not painting." A watercolorist was born that day unleashing a passion and a talent that Karen had no idea existed.
Karen has since immersed herself in classes, workshops, and plein aire to learn, practice and create her own style of watercolor. "I am like a sponge wanting to absorb everything I can. For me watercolor is my way of letting go of an outcome. So much of what I have done in my life has been focused on an outcome that I could clearly see at the beginning and worked to achieve. As a quilter for over nineteen years, I knew how to work with fabric, color and pattern to create the final quilt. Watercolor is an adventure in allowing the water to do the work (instead of me!) creating many wonderful surprises."
At this stage in her life she is in "rewirement" - not retirement! Born and raised in the Haight Ashbury she considers herself a "survivor of the 60's"! Married to "the boy next door" for nearly 42 years, she is the proud mother of three grown sons. Outdoor adventures and travel around the world with camera in has inspired Karen to paint from her photos, memories or plein aire. Some of her art displayed here were from recent trips to The Holy Land, and hiking and painting along the Sierras, Yosemite and throughout our local regional parks such as Briones and Mt. Diablo.
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