Being raised at the edge of the Finger Lakes National Forest in Central New York State set the stage for Kari’s deep connection to the natural landscape. After receiving a degree in Fine Art, she worked as a faux finisher, muralist, and owned a picture framing studio and boutique gallery with her husband Diego; a stereo photograper, woodworker, and glass artist.

In 2014, Kari began to focus on painting outside, “en plein air”; feeling the need to learn about light and shadow directly from the natural world. Based in Interlaken NY, the couple now travel the country painting and photographing their adventure. Whether having a stare down with a wolf in Yellowstone, rolling down the palm tree and sea grape lined A1A in Florida, or sleeping through a tornado in Missouri… it’s always an adventure!

Recent awards include:  Grand Prize - Lighthouse Plein Air Festival in Florida 2024, Best In Show -Shadows On The Teche in Louisiana 2023, Best In Show - Paint Grand Traverse in Michigan 2023 and 2022, Grand Prize - Monuments And Canyons Plein Air Colorado in 2021, and Grand Prize - Adirondack Plein Air in New York in 2020. Kari’s work is held in public and private collections across the United States, most recently added to the collections of the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado and The City of Gloucester in Massachusetts