We were lucky to catch up with Karen Atkins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Karen, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I grew up in the era of watching Bob Ross, and he made it look so easy. I knew I wanted to learn to paint. My parents never discouraged that dream. In fact, my parents always encouraged my interest in art. I remember getting an art kit for Christmas when I was in 5th or 6th grade. It came with everything I could think of to inspire my creativity. There were acrylic paints, oil paints, watercolors, charcoal pencils, accessories, and a how-to book. I hear so many stories of children being discouraged to pursue art and to get a “real job” by their parents. I am so grateful for the way my parents handled my interest and eventual dream.

Karen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have always been an artist, but I decided to take the more ‘sensible” route. I got my degree in graphic design and worked for printing companies and free magazines. I always knew I wanted to go out on my own to paint full-time. It was late 2022 when I decided to make my dream come true. I started in January of 2023 painting pet portraits and working on my REM Intrusion series. I have just a few more commission spots for Christmas delivery.

This has been a great first year. I’ve painted dozens of pets. Select works from my REM Intrusion series have been shown in exhibits in St. Louis. My proudest accomplishment so far has been winning second place in the “Unsung” exhibit at Webster Arts.

I am now working on course creation. My second passion is homeschooling which is something my daughter and I started doing during the pandemic. I noticed there is not a great resource for homeschooled teens who want to study fine arts. I’ve decided to create it myself. I’m planning to launch that to the public in the spring of 2024. Anyone wanting to join my beta-testing group, can by going to https://www.katkinsstudio.com/countmein before January 2024.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Absolutely. It’s funny you should ask this. My painting “A Familiar Place” is very much about resilience. Although the image clearly shows depression, it is more about pulling myself out of that space. I was diagnosed with narcolepsy in 2014. I had always struggled with depression, but I fell into a pretty dark place after that diagnosis and the difficult road I was on to find the right mix of solutions that worked for me. It took me a long time to come out of it. I started to work on my inner self in 2019. I learned a lot about how my brain works and how to make it work in my favor. I learned how to be nice to myself and now the time it takes me to pull myself out of those dark spots is much shorter.

I think my statement about the piece says it best:
It feels like you are in a deep dark hole that you don’t even want to try to crawl out of… yet. Just let me lay here while the depression envelopes me like a warm blanket. It’s familiar, and in that I find comfort. I get content and slip deeper into this void. I know there is a ladder waiting to be lowered… when I’m ready.

Like the many levels of depression, the layers of paint peeking through suggest a deepness to this emotion. The positioning of the subject and texture-heavy upper portion of the painting gives the feeling of being in a deep hole or well. With “A Familiar Place,” I want to convey that depression is a common symptom of narcolepsy. Before my treatment for this rare disease, depression was prevalent in my life. It is something I still struggle with less frequently. Sadness and depression are part of the human experience, and they are normal. Having the knowledge and the right tools allows me to climb out much sooner. If this is familiar to you, just know: there is ALWAYS a ladder, and you can climb out when you, too, are ready.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Each aspect of my art business is driven by passion. I wanted to paint my REM Intrusion series to not only share my personal story but to also bring awareness to narcolepsy and what it looks like. I wasn’t diagnosed until my 30s which is pretty typical because it is so misunderstood. We think we know what it looks like from watching examples of it in movies, but they have it so wrong.

I have always loved animals, especially the pets I’ve had over the years. We lost our latest dog in 2022. She was a 16-year-old pit mix and a true member of the family. I wanted to memorialize her with a painting. That is what started me painting pet portraits for other people.

The art course I’m creating for homeschooled teens is a combination of two of my passions – art and homeschooling. I have been teaching art on a small scale at our homeschool co-op and have enjoyed it. I know so many more homeschoolers can benefit from a high school program that just isn’t available right now. Most art programs for homeschoolers stop at middle school. I can’t wait to be able to help those families.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katkinsstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katkinsstudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatkinsStudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-atkins-1a673612/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/KatkinsStudio