Karen Barnes, a native of Upstate New York, has a BFA in Illustration from Syracuse University. During her senior year at SU she was recruited by Hallmark Cards, Inc. of Kansas City. Karen's commercial illustration includes work for National Geographic, Reader's Digest, Kid's Discover magazine and numerous publishers in NYC. Karen's love of pattern and color led her to faux and decorative painting. With her illustration background, she is particularly adept at faux finishes - the art of mimicking the look of a specific wood, stone, and marble.