Karen O'Brien's mother wanted her to become an artist but she became a doctor instead. She served as an Army Family Physician and spent much of her career training young doctors. In 2003, as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq waged, her students and husband were deployed in harm's way she returned to art to build resilience. After serving a tour in Afghanistan, she retired from military medicine in 2014 with 27 years of service. She now paints full time.

Karen is a contemporary abstract colorist who uses unique layering to create an interplay of texture, color and form to create vibrant non-objective and abstract landscapes. She is represented by Khan Gallery in Tacoma WA and Gallery Mack in Seattle WA. Karen has won National awards in the Pastel 100 Competition, Pastel Society of the West Coast and Pastel Society of Chicago Pastel Painter's Pastel Chicago Open Show. She is a signature member of Northwest Pastel Society.