In her Western Art, Karen Bonnie portrays the beauty and power of the natural world, and the people who live their lives close to the land and its creatures. Her Horse Art is sought for its meticulous correctness of conformation, motion and feeling.

Karen 's interests growing up in rural Wisconsin were drawing and understanding the subjects of her passion, the horses and dogs, the creatures of the fields and forests and the simplicity of country life all around her. In college she found she was just as fascinated with the biology of plants as with animals, so she pursued studies in Biology. 

Karen's art has always reflected that wonder and mystery she finds in the natural world. Horses and dogs have been central in her life, as well as ongoing study in Biology, reflecting her need to learn something new every day. She became a full time artist in 2000 after she met Dean and Linda St. Clair, who saw her drawings and inspired her to pursue a career in art. 

It was not long before she was invited to ride along with some great cowgirl range riders, who insisted on caring for their cattle in the Rocky Mountains high country using only horses for transportation, and preserving many of the old ways of working cattle. She and her husband, Pete, kept a small herd of longhorn cattle at their ranch in Colorado.

In 2004 Karen was awarded the Ralph "Tuffy" Berg Award for Best Emerging Artist by the C.M. Russell Annual Show and Sale.

In 2022 she was accepted into Cowgirl Artists of America as a Founding and Signature Member.

 Currently, she lives in southern New Mexico where she paints, and works with horse owners to build a better connection with their horses in the round pen. She plays guitar and gardens when she can grab a minute.

Painting in rich oil color thickened with wax medium, her art always reflects her knowledge and understanding of how animals move and behave, how plants grow and how we fit into their world. Her use of deep color and light has been inspired by several great artists' workshops and by painting with recognized artists who she admires. 

Coming Soon