hi. my name is karen. i have a degree in architecture and have had a rewarding career in architectural design, commercial and residential interiors, graphic design, product design…all things design…and what it all comes down to is this…i just LOVE shapes. and not only do i have this crazy love affair going with shapes, the shapes made BETWEEN the shapes gets me pretty excited too. sometimes i will move the elements of a design around until the motifs and the spaces between the motifs are “talking to each other”.

it is my goal to be the “go to” place for all things big, bold and graphic. my prints and patterns are always abstract by design. everyone gets to identify what they see in the design; it makes each design very personal to the individual. it makes the design more of an experience than just an aesthetic and i love that. i develop my unique motifs and silhouettes from my original pen & ink drawings…and translate them into energetic two-dimensional and three-dimensional art for products and spaces.

and color. my second love. just can’t get enough of it. whenever anyone asks what my favorite color is…i just say “rainbow” 🙂

about my work. i always try to create this balance between opposites. i am a self-proclaimed “gapbridger” 🙂 my work is playful yet sophisticated, organic yet organized, modern yet traditionally grounded and very, very androgynous (who says guys don’t like prints?)

oh, yeah. i can’t forget. so what does “-ize” mean? well, true to form, its another example of sophistication and fun all rolled up in one. the clever reference to our visual sense is apparent. now comes the fun part…you see, -ize is a suffix that turns a noun into a verb, just like my designs bring life and energy to the mundane…(or maybe the way i spell “ize” is the fun part and my use of -ize as a suffix is sophisticated??)…either way, it works 🙂

i love bringing together my passion for architecture, graphic design, illustration, and interior and product design in a way that is relevant, unique, modern and fresh. you can find my work gracing the surfaces of many products including area rugs, gifts, home accents, stationery products and electronic device accessories. my future plans include developing 3d products to enhance offices and spaces…so stay tuned…i am always trying to “shake things up”

-ize….GO BOLD or what’s the point?