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 Born in Australia in 1966, Karen James grew up in & around Sydney, from 1980 she lived in the Hawkesbury area, on Sydney's outskirts. Throughout childhood she enjoyed taking photographs & drawing - a passion which has been nurtured in her adult life by studying painting, drawing & photography, with many different tutors, mainly artist Marjorie Prophet, & at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney, with Francis Giacco & Jocelyn Maughan.
She worked during this time in the art department of a large printing company for 15 years, leaving in mid 1997 to prepare for her first exhibition "Drawn from Life", an exhibition of life drawing with fellow Hawkesbury artist & friend, Jennifer Lloyd.
Shortly after this, in September 1997, Karen travelled extensively throughout the U.K. & Europe with husband Bob, then in January 1998 they embarked on a 6-month period of volunteer teaching in Kenya, living with the local people in rural western Kenya, returning to Australia in September 1998. The time spent in Africa led to an exhibition in March 1999 - "A Journey through Kenya".
In January 2000, Karen & Bob moved to live in the South Island of New Zealand, in the picturesque seaside town of Kaikoura, where they built Homewood Hill Gallery which opened in July of that year to exhibit her work.
In the studio she paints & teaches weekly art classes to adults & children, & weekend workshops throughout the year.
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