Karen Cairns Biography

Karen Cairns RIBA ARIAS

 

Karen Cairns was born in Edinburgh, and studied at Edinburgh College of Art / Heriot Watt University during the 1980’s, graduating with an Honours Degree in Architecture and a Post-Grad in Urban Design. She is a registered Architect, lives in the Southside of Glasgow and is married to performance poet Robin Cairns.

 

Karen’s first exhibition was in Clachanmore Art Gallery in 2002, where her opening sale was a vivid still life bought by MSP Alasdair Morgan. Since then she has exhibited throughout Scotland, delighting the public with her ability to capture moments of rare light in many familiar urban settings and regularly tempting buyers to add a Karen Cairns original to their collections. Galleries she has shown in include Scotlandart, (Edinburgh and Glasgow), Jerdan Gallery (Crail), Smokehouse Gallery, (Eyemouth) Art Exposure, (Glasgow), Pittenweem, Glasgow and Edinburgh Art Fairs.

 

She was the featured artist in the “Scots Magazine” article “The Architecture of Light” in November 2007. “I enjoy the challenge of watercolour. I work predominantly “wet on wet”, trying to exploit the paint’s natural freedom yet remaining in control.” She has a loose impressionistic style.

 

Karen’s paintings are displayed in many public and corporate locations and are also available on a range of calendars and cards. Her painting of Edinburgh’s Ramsay Garden was used extensively to advertise Edinburgh Art Fair 2009, including the front of the opening night invites and a 40ft long billboard.