Karen Watson is a professional freelance artist and children’s illustrator who lives and works on Canada’s breathtaking west coast. Her original illustrations, custom watercolor paintings, and whimsical art prints convey a sense of wonder, magic, and beauty loved by children and adults alike.
Perhaps best known for her magical watercolor fairy tale illustrations – including those commissioned for award-winning children’s book The Adventures of Piratess Tilly – Galapagos Island (White Wave Press, 2015) – Karen’s style is highly recognizable, rendered with precise attention to detail and an emphasis of light and color.
Karen recently collaborated on the second book in author Elizabeth Lorayne’s The Adventures of Piratess Tilly – Easter Island series (White Wave Press, 2017). Kirkus Reviews describe Karen’s illustrations as;
“lovely watercolor images, executed with an eye for captivating detail.”
A lifelong lover of the arts, Karen began drawing as a young child and continues to hone her skills as an artist and illustrator with ongoing practice and study. She has always loved fairy tales and is passionate about her work as an illustrator of children’s books.
An avid adventurer herself, she has travelled to four of the seven continents where she finds inspiration in the natural world, as well as from many of the world’s wonderful illustrators, past and present.
In the late 1990s Karen attended the Vancouver Film School where she developed her eye for composition, light and color. When she isn’t working on projects as a freelance children’s book illustrator, she works as a visual effects compositor for the television and film industry. Her TV and film work has been nominated for a number of prestigious honours including a prime time Emmy, two Geminis, and two Leo awards. You can find a list of Karen’s film work at IMDB.
Karen’s fairy tale inspired watercolor paintings were celebrated in two sell-out art shows – “Drawn from Words” (2013) and “Drawn to Story” (2015). You can find her custom watercolor paintings and art prints for sale at local BC galleries, craft fairs, and on her website.
If you are looking for a professional illustrator for a children’s book or would like to commission Karen for an original custom watercolor painting, please email karen@karenwatson.com.