Title: Songbirds

Artist: Karen Warren

Date: 2019

Medium: mixed media, paper, oil and paint on canvas

Dimensions: 12" x 9" (framed)

Karen Warren won the Lane People Award in 2019, and has had her art displayed in exhibits such as "Greenville, Then and Now," and a solo exhibition at Whirligig Stage in Greenville, NC.

"I believe I have been looking at the world with an artist's eye all my life. As a child, I was seldom without pencil and paper. Through the years, I have used many materials in my creations, including watercolor, acrylic, oils, paper, clay and metal. I started making and selling jewelry in college, and still have an affinity to wearable art.

"I love the idea of transformation, of old materials being used to create something new, and conversely, new materials made to resemble something old. I often use hidden images to convey beauty and to create a sense of mystery and intrigue. As an artist. I continually strive to improve my ability to relate my inner world to the outer world through imagery. Alice Walker once said, 'Artists are messengers.' I believe that's true. What drives me is my quest through art to reveal the layers in every person's life, and in the natural world. I hope the message of my art transmits the idea of the world unseen and the mysteries within life."