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Karen Wessels grew up in Champaign / Urbana, IL where she earned a bachelor of science from The University of Illinois. While starting her artistic career in clothing design, a job painting on silk led her to creating wearable art. Soon that developed into painting on furniture and mosaic work. In the 1990's mosaics dominated her time. One of her custom kitchen designs and installation was featured on a HGTV show called "Kitchen Design." While working on a mural for a local Chicago business, she was asked to do a "how to" featured on WTTW's "Handy Ma'am."

In 2000/2001 Karen discovered stained glass. This led to a job at an Oak Park stained glass shop where she sold her original creations, assisted in teaching beginning classes, and held her own workshops.

Of recent years Karen has gone back to her true love of drawing and painting. An art class in the fall of 2008 brought forth the beginning of her figurative/surreal style which continues to evolve.