Karen (Kara) Lemens is a part-time resident of Breckenridge whose paintings capture light and the natural world in oils and gouache. While she paints a variety of subjects, she is most inspired by the beauty of wild places, especially the wonders of Colorado and the American West. Kara is passionate about nature and spends time outdoors daily-- hiking, biking, skiing, or snowshoeing. She loves painting on location (en plein air) with her border collie, Frisco, and she’s always up for a plein air adventure wherever life takes her. She can often be spotted along the trails in Summit County, capturing the area’s beauty in paint.Kara’s studio paintings have their origins in her from-life or plein air sketches and she hopes that her direct and personal connection to her subjects comes through to viewers. Her goal is to capture the joy and beauty that she experiences outdoors and to bring the outdoors in for her viewers to enjoy.Kara is a member of various art associations including the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America, and the Outdoor Painters Society, and has participated in many juried shows. She has also studied with numerous top artists and constantly strives to improve her art and her understanding of the natural world portrayed in it. She loves exploring the language of paint and experimenting with paint quality and mark-making in her work. She is grateful that she gets to spend time with a paintbrush in her hand and that art enables her to share some of the beauty and wonder she finds in wild places.