Hello my Dabble family!
It’s Jen here, and I am so excited to introduce you to today’s featured artist, Karen Andres — a talented professional artist whose story truly touched my heart.
Karen’s journey into palette knife painting began with a moment of serendipity. While visiting a gallery in Aspen, she came across my paintings on display, and that experience lit a creative spark that would soon grow into something remarkable.
When she returned home, Karen began following me on Facebook. Later, during a heartbreaking season in her life — after the sudden loss of her husband — she turned to art as a way to find healing and direction. That’s when she discovered palette knife painting, and after just one class, she was completely hooked.
Karen shared, “This art technique was easy and forgiving, and I could develop my own style. Someone once told me, ‘Don’t strive for perfection. Strive for excellence.’ That’s what I feel I can accomplish with palette knife painting under Jen’s tutorage.”
That statement captures the very heart of why I love this art form — it’s not about perfection, it’s about the freedom to create and grow.
What inspires Karen most?
Nature. She loves using photos as reference material, but it’s when she’s painting the beauty of nature that she feels most connected and inspired. She describes it as becoming “a part of creation” — and you can truly feel that connection in her work.
What she loves about DabblePaints™
Karen says, “The paints are amazing. I never would have thought paint could make so much difference in a painting. The creamy texture, the vibrant colors, the way it clings to the canvas actually transform a painting.”
I couldn’t agree more, and hearing her describe it in her own words is exactly why Matt and I created DabblePaints™ in the first place.
What she enjoys most about painting
Karen’s favorite part of painting is the escape — that feeling of being completely absorbed in the creative process and leaving behind the worries of the day. The painting she chose to share isn’t necessarily the one she considers her “best,” but it’s the one that brought her the most joy.
She told me about a lesson where we used cardboard to scrape the background with paint, and she said it was just “so freeing and fun.” That’s exactly what I love to hear — because painting should feel joyful and alive. (And let’s be honest, any day that involves flinging paint with cardboard sounds like a good time!)
Karen’s advice for beginners
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The more you paint, the more you’ll improve.
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Enjoy the process — your painting is yours alone, and no one else can replicate it. Be proud of it.
Karen, thank you for sharing your story and your art with all of us. Your courage, creativity, and heart are such an inspiration to the Dabble family.
Keep creating, keep shining, and keep bringing more beauty into the world.
Happy Dabbling!
Jen