Karen’s Story

Growing up in the country has given me an appreciation and respect for nature – from acorns and lady slippers to blizzards and hurricanes. The home I grew up in was centered around imagination and creativity. It was this foundation that has inspired me to create these fanciful fish and birds.

Over 35 years ago, my husband and I bought a 42 ft sailboat and made it our home. We lived aboard the “Major Chord” for 17 years. We experienced the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Living life on a sailboat, you see life from a different angle, the sea, the waves, how the colors of blue and green change depending how deep the ocean ; the fish, the birds, the sea mammals. Every tide leaves a new array of objects on a beach and each is like a chapter in a story.

This life has inspired me to create these natural friends. Looking at a piece of driftwood and seeing an eye or a mouth or a seal or an otter. Picking up a shell or rock and thinking this is a good paw or fin. My favorite walk is along a beach after a storm. I always find treasures.

They have become my friends; each with a name and a distinctive story.