Official Biography
Karen Popham accepted her first commission to paint someone’s portrait when she was fourteen. On leaving school she went to the Central School of Art and Design, now Central St. Martins, in London and has worked as an artist ever since. During this time, she has exhibited widely in her own One Man shows as well as public exhibitions such as the Royal Academy, the Royal Festival Hall, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, the Royal Western Academy, the Mall Galleries and the Brownston Gallery.
In 2023 Karen received a Stanley Grimm Award from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters for most popular painting as chosen by the public: on the strength of this she was invited to exhibit in the Mall Galleries “Beyond the Prize” exhibition. Karen has been Resident Artist at the Reform Club in Pall Mall, the Laban Centre Ballet School and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. She has also illustrated many children’s books, two of which were for Heligan (“The Mud Maid” and “The Giant”) .
In 2021 Karen returned to the West Country and now has her studio in Buckfastleigh. She is an active member of SWAc and of Salcombe Art Club where she teaches regularly.
~ CV ~
Upcoming
Education
1978 - Foundation & Fine Art Degree, Central School of Art & Design (now Central St. Martins)
Notable Exhibitions
December 23 - Artizan Gallery: Winter Open Exhibition, Torquay
September 23 - SCENE CHANGES: One-man-show, West Brompton Cemetery Chapel
July/ August 23 - SWAC: Sou’ Sou’ West Gallery, Bridport
May 2023 - SWAC at the Stables Gallery, Delamore
December 2022 - Elected Academician, South West Academy of Fine and Applied Arts
November 2022 - SWAC Annual Open Exhibition - Vandlys Award
November 2021 - SWAC Annual Open Exhibition
2020 - 'No Barking Art - World Without End' - Covid Exhibition
2016 - 2019 - Invited to exhibit with Mall Online Gallery on several occasions, showing paintings such as ‘Boys with Red Buckets’, ‘Still Life with Fennel’, ‘Nasturtiums in a Victorian Vase’, ‘Sprouting Garlic’ and ‘Beach Combing’
November 2019 - The Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, The Mall Galleries
‘Winter Walk’ chosen as one of two paintings to be printed as cards to mark exhibition
November 2017 - The Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, The Mall Galleries
November 2016 - The Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, The Mall Galleries
- One Woman Show, Heligan
- Dulwich Picture Gallery Summer Exhibition (‘Pretty Hen’ was “Highly Commended”)
- Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
- One Woman Show, The Laban Centre
- One Woman Show, The Reform Club
- Spirit of London Exhibition, Royal Festival Hall
- First one-woman-show Borlase Gallery, Oxford, while pregnant at age 24. ( Oxford Times Critic wrote “All this painting is immensely vigorous and well worth a special journey….”)
Artistic Residencies
- The Lost Gardens of Heligan, where I took part in book launches and signings, a one woman show and several public events such as ‘The Big Draw’. I was also included in their television documentary on “artists and gardens” for Channel 4
- The Laban Centre of Dance in the course of which I held running exhibitions at the Laban Centre and a one woman show at City University
- The Reform Club (Pall Mall), ending with a sell-out one woman show
Illustrator
- Two children’s books for The Lost Gardens of Heligan: ‘The Mud Maid’ and ‘The Giant’, in collaboration with poet Sandra Horn (published by The Clucket Press)
- Wrote and illustrated ‘Ellie’s Growl’ (published by Frances Lincoln)
- Several children’s books for Random House, Hodder and Stoughton and Red Fox Ballet Books including The Tattybogle Tree and The Little Swan Series
Teacher
2013 - 2021
- Formed “Pound Hill Painters” with supporting website to promote the work of my students
- Invited to perform a public portraiture demonstration, the inaugural Alresford Arts Festival
- Ran painting classes in my home studio
- Ran plein air workshops around Hampshire and West Sussex
- Oil painting and life drawing classes for the Alresford Arts Club.
1994 – 1996 - Taught Visual Studies at Lewisham College
1978 - Taught life drawing at Colchester Art College