Bio:

Karen Patkau was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A telling note is written on the back of a photograph of her at 10 months old – "Here is Karen looking at a book. She enjoys books, especially those with pictures of animals in them."

Karen started drawing at the age of three. She attended public school in Winnipeg and was known as the “class artist." She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honors degree. While studying for her Master of Visual Arts degree at the University of Alberta, Karen became fascinated with children’s book illustration and started to develop her unique collage style. After graduation, she moved to Toronto, Ontario.

Karen has been illustrating picture books for many years. Today, she does most of her artwork digitally.

Writing and illustrating nonfiction books about nature is her most recent activity. A tiny fruit fly, landing on the photograph of a giant beetle, was the inspiration for her first one – “Creatures Great and Small.”

Karen lives in Toronto, where she works as an author, illustrator, designer, and visual artist.


Writer/Illustrator
PAL
Member since 2012
Region: Canada: East

Contact Information

Phone:   (416) 260-1915
Current Location:   Toronto
Website:  http://www.patkauillustration.com

Published In Children's Market: Yes