Karen North Wells, an award-winning artist based in Cape Cod, paints in all three media: watercolor, oil and acrylic. She considers herself an impressionistic painter, neither painting absolute realism, nor abstraction but somewhere in the middle. 

Karen regularly paints florals, boats, still lifes, landscapes and seascapes, but bringing buildings and water views to life for special commissions are Karen's specialties. 

"My goal now in life is to be a healer through my painting. I can't paint sad pictures," says Karen. "[My work has] to reveal the happiness that I feel. I want people to smile when they look at my paintings." 

In addition to her commissioned original paintings, Karen has an extensive line of dozens of limited-edition prints and cards, making her work affordable to all.  She also teaches painting workshops for The Cape Cod Art Association in Barnstable, MA, the Council on Aging in Orleans, MA and The Creative Arts Centers in Chatham, MA and at her Underground Art Gallery.

Karen has worked with her hands all her life, majoring in art education at Florida State University, and periodically teaching art in public schools between 1967 and 1994.

After taking off several years to raise her two children, Jonathan and Kirsten, Karen took up watercolors again in 1985 through the encouragement of her husband, the late architect Malcolm Wells.  She later began painting in oils and acrylics.

By 1994, Karen's artwork sold well enough to allow her to retire from teaching art in the public schools.  The same year, Karen began teaching painting classes in her gallery and at local art centers. ( For current opportunities see “Classes and Events” below).
She has won awards for her paintings at the local art associations.

Karen loves to paint on location.  She hopes to do paintings of landmarks in each Cape Cod town