About the Author/Illustrator
The Early Years: Karen Dean's interest in artwork and writing began in elementary school. It was quickly apparent that God had deposited the gift of creativity in her as reflected in winning first place on a national book cover competition in the 4th grade.
Education: Her love for creativity continued to grow in various forms over the years. After earning a BA in Interior Design and Fine Arts and an MA in Clothing and Textiles from Eastern Michigan University, Karen designed and made clothing for over 20 years. During this time the painting and writing were mostly put on hold.
Artwork: All the while, the urge to paint remained strong inside. The suppressed artwork needed to be released. Finally the paintings began to surface. Impressionism to Classical Realism, portraits, landscapes and still life emerged in watercolor, oil, pastel, and colored pencil.
Children's Books: A few years later, to Karen's delight, an excitement for writing and illustrating children's books finally surfaced in her creative world. Time spent at SCBWI conferences gave foundational training for developing characters and stories. After having 6 books she wrote and illustrated published, Karen embarked on a journey for advanced training with online courses in various genres of writing for children and illustrating in Photoshop. New ideas just keep coming.
Now with 8 books and one coordinating card game published, Karen considers it a privilege to experience fanciful stories pouring from her pen and illustrations flowing from her brush. As each new book she completes gets published, Karen is grateful to know she is touching the hearts and minds of children and adults. Great responses from readers encourage her to keep on creating.