Karen MacKenzie

Rough color study that I made today in Photoshop. The essence of Aurora is emerging. Next stop...paint!

#wip #northernlights #sketching

New work in progress inspired by recent encounter with the Auroras. Working larger than I have in a while which feels really liberating!

#sketch #northernlights #wip #illustration #winterscene

Here's a much better copy of my new painting 'North Country Girl'. Prints and cards, etc are available @ InPrnt link on my page. #northcountrygirl #autumn #painting #gouache #illustration

Happy Haunting 👻🎃 "Boo"!
#trickortreat #halloween #ghosts #spooky #owls #dragons #penandinkart #illustration #childrensbooks

New painting (gouache 11"x14") titled 'North Country Girl'. #autumn #painting #gouache #watercolor #illustration #dahlias #goldenlab #mushroomhunting

Color study for a new painting. Might not see the sun like this in Oly for awhile, but trying to capture the unique goldenness of Autumn. Switching back to watercolors & gouache for this one...it's been awhile! #fall #autumn #windy #wip #illustration

Thank you! 🩵

I recently finished a portrait commission, it was small (8 x 11) and my subject is an art quilter, so I added a quilted sun to go with the sailboat that represents their love of sailing! When she opened it, her laugh was a perfect mirror of the painting! #oilpainting #portraits

If you see this, post your blue Art 🩵💙🩵
‘Gaia’ (oil on board) #imaginativerealsim #starryskies #oilpainting

Clouds loom high over a distant lighthouse. A small sailboat passes in the foreground, and above a massive woman towers in the clouds, flanked by two owls. The woman is surrounded with pale drapery that mimics the color and shape of the clouds. She looks down upon the lighthouse and boat.

gonna call this one done, I think 🤞

This is ‘Trina’ who began as an exploration of the Empress in tarot, but became a ‘Lady of the Canyon’ (Joni Mitchell). I worked with Cobra water soluble oils, which I can recommend to anyone looking to move away from solvents. #painting #illustration #imaginativerealism #JoniMitchell #CobraOils

Happy Mermay! #diving #inspiration #oilpainting #illustration #orca #haida #mermay2025

Update on the new water soluble oil paints by Cobra. I love them! It was a quick adjustment, and now I’m all in. Highly recommend! #oilpainting #makeart #dreamscapes #colormyworld #imagination #illustration #cobraoils

Had a poetic moment yesterday walking around the lake with some friends, and cherry blossoms wafted across our path and landed on the water. It reminded me of this painting I made after the tsunami on March 11th 2011. #japan #fukushima #healing #cherryblossoms #painting #illustration #gouache

Rough first stab at painting with my new water soluble oil paints. It’s going to take a minute to adjust, but they have great potential! #cobraoils #paintplay #catportraits #nontoxic #messyfun

#portfolioday
I’m Karen Mac from the rainy PNW. I love storytelling mixed with history & some fantasy. I’m available for illustration work from children’s books to YA and beyond.
I can be reached at: kmackenzieart@gmail.com

Color study for a new painting that I’m titling ‘Twilight with Trina’. I tried using acrylics, but have decided to experiment with water soluble oils. They’re made by Rembrandt in the Netherlands, so I have high hopes they’ll do the trick! #workinprogress #colorstudy #illustration #repose

Rough drawing for a new painting in acrylics. Have had to discontinue oils due to a kind of allergic reaction. Hoping for a smooth transition! #sketch #illustration #painting #lapcat #luna #ocean #workinprogress

That’s so wonderful you think so…pretty sure that’s my next undertaking (illustrated novel)!

Finally wrangled this bear to the finish line. Learned a lot! I think Bob Ross was a genius! And then happened to see the animation ‘Brother Bear’ last night…so timely, and great story! Thanks for checking in. #landscape #oilpainting #nature #pacificnorthwest #brownbear #salmon #eagle #sunrise

I made this MerKitty avatar for a friend recently. It was fun collaborating on the project. As it turned out, I watched the Aristocats in the midst of working on it, so there’s a little bit of Duchess in her! #logos #mermaid #kitty #avatar #illustration #color #collaboration

I don’t usually make an underpainting, so this’ll be an interesting evolution. Have been wanting to alter my approach. I’m hoping the next (color) layer brings it alive! #wilderness #oilpainting #landscape #wildlife #pacificnorthwest

stylized gouache painting of a brown-skinned fairy-sized woman tracking footprints in the snow while her trusty pine marten steed stands behind her looking on

Still wintery ❄️

#kidlitart

Thanks darlin’! 🐱💛

Following the muse like a river without end…and looking forward to working in oil paints again after a bunch of digital work. #sunrise #pacificnorthwest #sketch #landscape #nature #illustration #bear #eagle #douglasfir

Quote re-post with yer wings

Fabulous! Congratulations! Must feel amazing! 😃

#MartinLutherKing by the extraordinarily talented Bud Cook.

I just finished revising this painting which was originally used for the inaugural concert by the Seattle Women’s Choir. I started work just before Christmas, and now with the terrible fires in California, I can only hope that they have cooler weather and rain soon! (‘Snow Flight’).

Love seeing these influences brought forward so exquisitely!