Karen grew up in New York where she received a degree in medical technology from Dutchess Community College and a BA degree in business/marketing from SUNY New Paltz College. In 1989, her family moved to North Carolina.
As a self-taught artist, Karen has nurtured her passion over the last seven years for the arts by exploring, learning and creating. Through art lessons with Lisa Mathis and other various artist workshops, she focuses on experimenting with color, texture, and composition. Drawing, watercolors, and acrylics are her favorite mediums. With the hope the viewer will be drawn in and captivated by the variety of texture, line, and color in her work, she strives for creative textured surfaces which provide tactile experiences for the viewer.
Karen has been a member of the Sanford Brush and Palette Club for seven years and has shown her artwork yearly in the club’s annual art show, winning Best in Show in 2015. Actively participating in the club, she has taken on various leadership roles and has chaired the annual art show for two years. Karen is married to Tim Rushatz and they have three children: Chad, Cory, and Callie.