I utilize the techniques of "women's work" to present the feminine view. My imagery is inspired by womens' lives and womens' bodies, and by the feminine impulse to nurture. My sense of humor enters into the creation process and becomes integral to many of the pieces. I think of my wire sculptures as 3-dimensional line drawings in space. The line and movement of the object and its shadow suggest the energy of a human presence. I think of my work with birch bark and other natural materials as a metaphor for womens' work and women's lives: all involve scavenging, mending, piecing-together, and adorning.  Doll image is called Worry Doll


BIO
Karen Searle (MFA Minneapolis College of Art & Design 1999) is a sculptor in fiber and mixed media. Her works have been exhibited in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Korea. She presents classes, lectures, and seminars internationally, and has served as a juror of numerous exhibitions, including the International Textile Design Competition, Daegu, Korea, in 1997 and 2000. She has served as a mentor to emerging artists through the Mentor/Protégée Program of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) since 1991. A former editor and publisher in the arts field, she continues to write for arts-related publications.  

Tree Spirit
These works begin as meditations on beauty in nature. I delicately mend and bead found birch bark "torsos" and the crocheted figures evolve organically from them. They pay homage to the activities of women's work: we salvage, mend, piece together, and adorn--both the objects in our lives and our relationships.