Karen Sinclair Willis Art

Karen is originally from the Shetland Islands, where she grew up just 100 metres from the sea. That dramatic coastal landscape became her earliest inspiration and shaped everything that followed.

Her childhood was filled with painting, while her granddad crafted frames for her work. Visitors to the islands couldn't resist her vibrant sunsets and seascapes, and they sold quickly. By the time she left school, Karen had already received the highest art award her school could give.

Rather than attend Glasgow School of Art, she followed a friend to Hereford, where she later studied art photography in Derby under the renowned photographer John Blakemore. He recognised something special in her compositional eye.

After university, Karen returned to painting. It took years of dedicated work before the Tallantyre gallery discovered her and exhibited her paintings at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea. That breakthrough opened doors across the UK and beyond—London, Dublin, New York, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Newcastle's Biscuit Factory all showed her work.

Her paintings are now in collections worldwide, from Europe to New Zealand and Australia. A particular honour was presenting one of her pieces to Prince Charles, which now hangs in the Royal collection at Clarence House. Her work is also owned by Formula One presenter Steve Jones and many other collectors.

Today, Karen works full-time from her home in Morpeth, Northumberland, close to the coast that continues to inspire her bold, colourful seascapes. She creates commissions of Northumberland landscapes, seascapes, and animal portraits, drawing on decades of artistic practice and an unwavering connection to the natural world.

She'd love to hear from you.