Karen takes beautiful Mopani wood and creates unique, collectable artwork.

Self-taught as an artist, Karen has sold watercolour paintings of birds, animals and landscapes over many years. She has recently turned her attention to sculpture and wood.

Mopani wood is one of Africa's heaviest timbers and is difficult to work due to its hardness. However the distinctive and interesting shapes of the roots and branches make it perfect for use in ornamental sculpture. Karen uses the shape of each individual piece of wood and fashions a lizard to blend with the natural contours of the wood.

Each lizard is then painted in intricate detail to blend perfectly with the wood, making the sculpture as difficult to spot on the wood as the lizards themselves would be in their natural environment. Some pieces are then enhanced with brightly coloured, painted, mosaic patterning. Each piece, due to the nature of the wood itself and to the individual creation of each lizard, is absolutely unique.

Pieces are available from galleries across Scotland or can be ordered directly from karen@maroan.co.uk