Info: Karien is a woman who loves life! Her heart and home are always open to people who needs her most. Her friends always say that there is something in her that'll always be child and just like a little girl, she's always busy with something! Painting is her passion and something that she only began on a later stage in her life. Her children were already grown up when she decided to go study art at UNISA. Painting means more to her than to just paint pretty pictures. It's about self discipline and the courage to open up your soul. The shadows in an artist's life searches for expression and recognition on the canvas. The words of Paul Cezanne inspires Karien everyday: "I want to make art where my grandchildren can sit and have breakfast." Karien wants to express a message of life and light - something that makes the viewer feel good. Her faith is very important to her. The word Parakletos always appears under her name on canvas, which means the Holy Spirit is my Helper, Comforter and Advocate. Karien and her husband loves to ravel and her charm with European architecture, lead her to the painting of themes such as walls, doors and roads. She sees a door as a metaphor for a choice. Al of Karien's work are rich in colour and texture. The walls and doors always have a old looking-feeling texture. In her Free State landscapes and still life with fruits, the brush creates an expressive, colourful, tangible atmosphere.