KAREN XARCHOS IS AN ARTIST FROM OTTAWA, ONTARIO.
Karen grew up in a rural setting on the outskirts of Ottawa, ON. She spent her formative immersed in the beauty of nature - a sensory experience she brings to her work.
Fascinated by art for as long as she can remember, Karen began drawing by the age of three and painted with watercolours and oils throughout her childhood. Painting opens a door to another world for her - where the ordinary becomes interesting and strangers become friends.
Karen is self-taught, and believes an artist is never finished learning. To her, growing as an artist is a life long journey that never gets old.
Some of her favourite schools of art include: Baroque, Pre-Raphaelite, Impressionism and Contemporary Realism. Together, these have inspired Karen’s own “painterly representational” style. In her work, Karen often combines her images with simplified, abstracted backgrounds - at times blending tonalist and colourist approaches.
Favourite themes are animals, figurative work and motorcycles (since becoming an avid sport motorcyclist). Past projects include personal portraits, commissions for interior designers and numerous murals in both public and private spaces. Her work has been published in two hardcover books: Acrylicworks 3, The Best of Acrylic Painting and Art Journey Animals, A Collection of Inspiring, Contemporary Masterworks.
Happiest with a brush or pencil in her hand, Karen can usually be found in her studio in the Town of Perth, ON.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

HOW I BECAME A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST
As a child growing up in the country, story books were my favourite companions. A well-worn, original German edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales was my best friend. I can still remember my grandmother’s soft voice reading Hansel and Gretel to me while I sat mesmerized by the striking watercolour and ink illustrations that filled the book’s pages. The images stirred in me a longing to create with my own hands, to tell stories in paint and colour.
My immigrant parents valued creativity as much as hard work. They encouraged my artistic pursuits, often gifting me art supplies for birthdays or Christmas. Ever practical, they saw art as a hobby but definitely not as a career. Instead, they pushed me to enrol in business college in my early 20s. I obliged, then worked full-time in the corporate world for many years. But I never let go of my dream.
I spent every spare moment on my art. I studied it in the evenings - taking courses in painting and commercial illustration to refine my skills - and taught myself the history, fundamentals and principles of art from books. I painted small items for family and friends. Portraits, wildlife and birds became my favourite subjects, faux finishes and trompe l’oeil a way to sharpen my skills in realism and illusion.
My abilities grew, but I wasn’t brave enough to give up my day job.
Then one day while painting a Peter Rabbit mural in my son’s nursery, I had an epiphany: other people would like this kind of art in their homes. And they would commission me to create it. That realization became the spark that launched my art career. I had found the confidence to share my gift with others, to bring colour, story, and imagination into their lives, and to support myself while doing so.
Today, I am a freelance artist creating murals, commissioned art and translating interior designers’ visions into reality. My career has been full of magic and surprises. But no matter the artistic roads I travel, I always take with me the quiet rural landscape and colourful fairy-tale images of my childhood. That foundation continues to shape my work today - art that reflects resilience, wonder, and the beauty of nature.