Karen grew up in Texas and currently resides in Garland, TX. She learned about Cherokee culture and art through her mother, Martha Berry, who revived the tradition of Cherokee Beadwork. Karen loved gourd art through her history of wood working and painting. This medium was a natural progression, combining these talents. She incorporated pre-European contact and modern Cherokee designs into her work. Karen currently grows her own gourds and is trying her hand at fingerweaving also.