Karen Leffel-Massengill knew at a very early age that she wanted to be an artist. Pencils and crayons were constant companions as a child as her family moved around the world, France, Germany, Turkey and Thailand were just a few of the many places where she grew up and drew creative inspiration.
Graduating from Florida State University in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Karen was sidetracked from her passion to work as an artist by marriage and raising three sons. As it often does, life lead her down a different path and she earned an Associate's Degree in Nursing in 1981. It wasn't until her new husband's sudden death in 1995 that she began to pursue her original childhood dreams of becoming a professional artist.
She dove into the deep end of painting as a means of dealing with his death. The tragedy of his death was transformed into a positive step toward her career as a painter. Taking workshops from world-class artists such as Carl Dalio, Janet Rogers, Jim Kosvanec, and many others, she grew and learned rapidly in her endeavors as an artist.
She was the cover artist for Watercolor Magic magazine for the 1998 summer issue. In 2000 through 2004, she was accepted into the acclaimed international competition, Birds in Art in both watercolor and oil mediums. She was also accepted into the nationally ranked competition known as Arts for the Parks in 1998 with watercolor entries in both the top 100 and top 200 of this competition. She enjoys signature status with the Florida Watercolor Society and the Society of Animal Artists.
Karen has enjoyed immense success on the art show circuit being accepted into many of the top art shows in the nation including Coconut Grove, Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair, Ann Arbor South University Art Fair, Winter Park Sidewalk Festival and Artigas. She has won numerous awards at these shows and has been selected as the poster artist for five different shows. Teaching others to paint has become an important part of her art career in workshops held all over the country and private lessons in her studio.
Graduating from Florida State University in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Karen was sidetracked from her passion to work as an artist by marriage and raising three sons. As it often does, life lead her down a different path and she earned an Associate's Degree in Nursing in 1981. It wasn't until her new husband's sudden death in 1995 that she began to pursue her original childhood dreams of becoming a professional artist.
She dove into the deep end of painting as a means of dealing with his death. The tragedy of his death was transformed into a positive step toward her career as a painter. Taking workshops from world-class artists such as Carl Dalio, Janet Rogers, Jim Kosvanec, and many others, she grew and learned rapidly in her endeavors as an artist.
She was the cover artist for Watercolor Magic magazine for the 1998 summer issue. In 2000 through 2004, she was accepted into the acclaimed international competition, Birds in Art in both watercolor and oil mediums. She was also accepted into the nationally ranked competition known as Arts for the Parks in 1998 with watercolor entries in both the top 100 and top 200 of this competition. She enjoys signature status with the Florida Watercolor Society and the Society of Animal Artists.
Karen has enjoyed immense success on the art show circuit being accepted into many of the top art shows in the nation including Coconut Grove, Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair, Ann Arbor South University Art Fair, Winter Park Sidewalk Festival and Artigas. She has won numerous awards at these shows and has been selected as the poster artist for five different shows. Teaching others to paint has become an important part of her art career in workshops held all over the country and private lessons in her studio.