Curriculum Vitae
Karen Cairns RIBA ARIAS

Karen Cairns was born in Edinburgh, and studied at Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot Watt University during the 1980’s, graduating with a Degree in Architecture and a Post-Grad in Urban Design. She is a registered Architect living in the Southside of Glasgow, and is married to performance poet Robin Cairns.

Karen’s first exhibition was in Clachanmore Art Gallery in 2002, where her opening sale was to MSP Alasdair Morgan. She exhibits throughout Scotland, in venues which include the Morningside Gallery, Jerdan Gallery, Smokehouse Gallery, Art Exposure, Glasgow & Edinburgh Art Fairs and scotlandart.com.

“I enjoy the challenge of watercolour. I work predominantly “wet on wet”, trying to exploit the paints natural freedom yet remaining in control. Although I paint a variety of subjects, I focus mainly on harbour scenes and the streetscapes of Glasgow and Edinburgh. I paint the effect of light on architecture. Buildings stay the same; it’s light that brings them to life.”

Karen was the featured artist in the “Scots Magazine” article “The Architecture of Light” in November 2007.