I began my career as an illustrator after graduating from the School of Visual Arts in 1980 when students had spiky pink and blue hair and they listened to punk rock music. I worked freelance for 15 years and became known primarily for food packaging though I did everything from magazine covers to billboards. I’ve worked for numerous companies including Dannon, Ragu, Pillsbury, Nabisco, The Atlantic Monthly, IBM and Calvin Klein.
By the mid 1990’s computers were changing the illustration field and since I loved to paint and could not see myself sitting in front of a computer all day I created paintings for galleries instead.
After seeing an American Society of Botanical Artist’s exhibition I knew that my work and style of painting would fit right in. I had been painting plants such as berries and herbs that go into our foods so I was familiar with painting botanical subjects in a realistic style. In the following years I’ve painted many botanicals, exhibited my work, won awards, taught botanical painting at the New York Botanical Garden and made tutorial DVD’s. Recently I have been back to illustrating for packaging (Celestial Seasonings) and licensing my work (Caspari Inc.). Funny how things come full circle.

Feel free to contact me with purchase requests and licensing oppertunities. The ‘Specials’ section has work with a wide range of prices and custom prints are available upon request.

email: karenkluglein@gmail.com

Please see my other website karenkluglein.com for commercial illustration work.

Published work:
Advertising:Afrin:Schering Corp; Air Force:General Electric; American White Cross; America’s Choice; AT&T; Band-Aid and Stim-U-Dent:Johnson&Johnson; Blue Cross / Blue Shield; Borden; Burger King; Calvin Klein; Coors; Dannon; Eckrich; Eli Lilly; Florida State Lottery; Guldens; Hardees; Health Maid; Hershey’s; Hill’s Science Diet; IBM Corp.; I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter: Lever Brothers; Jello-O: General Foods; General Mills; Kimberly Clark; Lee; Levis; Ludens; M&M Mars; Marine Midland Bank; Mikasa; Nabisco; New Day Beverage,Inc.; Ocuclear:Schering; Ocean Spray; Panasonic; Pillsbury; Pop Shots,Inc.; Schiefflin and Co.; Seldane:Merrel Dow Pharmaceudicals; Singer; SNET; Sprite: Tetley; 7-11:Texas Southland Corp; Toblerone; Tylenol:McNeil Consumer Products Co.; United Dairy Farmers; US Postal Service; Ragu:Van Den Bergh Foods; Van Heusen; Walnut Acres; Wrangler

Editorial:
The Atlantic, March 2000; May 1998; June 1990(Cover); March 1989; May 1988.
US News and World Report, Sept. 1985 (Cover).
Dowden Publishing:
OBG Management, July, Feb. 1993(Cover); April 1992(Cover); March 1991; April 1991(Cover); June 1990(Cover); July 1990; Aug 1990(Cover); Dec.1990(Cover).
Pediatric Management, July 1992; Aug. 1992(Cover); Nov. 1991(Cover); June 1991 (Cover).

Awards and Exhibits:

ASBA Small Works 2022 Best In Show ASBA 25th International Exhibition Juror in 2022 ASBA 23rd International Exhibition Juror in 2020 ASBA 21st International Exhibition Juror in 2018 ASBA Honorable Mention 2016
ASBA New York Central Award 2012
Bouchier Award For Excellence in Botanical Art, 2010
ASBA Best In Show, 2010
Filoli Botanical Exhibit, 2010
Americal Society of Botanical Artists, Talas Award 2009
American Society of Botanical Artist, Best Painting In Show  2008
Watercolor West, 2008
Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club,  2008
American Watercolor Society, 2008
CW Post Seven and Seven, 2008
Richeson 75, 2008
International Small Works,2007
Hampton Road gallery 2003- present
River Gallery, Chatanooga,TN 2005- present
Susan Frei Nathan Fine Works on Paper
Hunt Institute at Carnegie Mellon’s Ninth International Exhibit, 1999