Karen Weihs is a native of Charleston, South Carolina with a BFA from the University of Georgia. She began her professional career as a graphic designer for Sea Pines Corporation. After marrying restaurateur Chris Weihs, she worked with him to develop and operate 7 restaurants in the Charleston area over the next 28 years. She started showcasing her works of art in the family restaurants before founding a cooperative gallery space in Charleston in 1995.

Presently Karen and Chris divide their time between Charleston and Cashiers, North Carolina. “Skylight Farm” is the name they’ve given their 48 acres in western NC, where she teaches two workshops a year and hosts other professional artists. She has recently co-founded the plein air painters of the Carolinas, PAC. She paints from inspiration found in both of the Carolinas of scenes that move her. Her palette continues to evolve with the richness of green, violet and orange in which she finds a counterbalance. She is always looking for ways to make one color play against another rather than merely being representative of what the eye thinks it sees. Lately she has explored a more figurative style, but loves to explore anything that is challenging to her. She sometimes uses realism as a base for coloristic simple impressions, which she calls intuitive paintings, having a modern abstract feel. She feels that UGA instructor Lamar Dodd and mentor Frank Licciardi inspired this type of painting. During the last ten years she has met and painted with many fine artists who have encouraged and supported her, including Andrew Peters, Alan Campbell, Bill Jameson, Ann Templeton and others. She credits the now deceased Frank Licciardi of Charleston for her vision and love of painting, and Andrew Peters of Arizona for teaching her proper color mixing. She is a self-described Colorist of the Carolinas.

Karen feels that an artist’s life is ever changing and ever challenging. “If I painted the same subject over and over, I would feel like it was a job. Art is my heart and soul, so I have merged my life with art.” Karen teaches much of her philosophy from her book, Out of My Mind, a Creative Journey, published in 2000. The book includes many of her intuitive paintings to impress upon the reader her feeling that art is about freedom of choice and personal goals; letting go and letting something in that is deep and personal.

Showing art in both the Carolinas at fine art galleries is her lifetime desire. “The colors and spirit of Charleston make me feel alive and energized when arriving home, and the mountains inspire serenity to live and create.”