Karel is an artist who loves plants, ecology, animals, and banjos. The youngest of seven kids, she was raised on a family farm in the 1970’s where she learned to milk cows, plant seeds, pluck chickens, and shovel manure. Her earthy childhood set the stage for her lifelong love of gardening and nature. With a degree in Landscape Architecture, she further developed her love of art, biology, and ecopsychology.

Experimenting with silk-painting in her mid-twenties, she discovered flowing liquid dyes and vibrant colors which liberated her expression. Later, she added layers of fabric with quilting techniques allowing her to be both a painter and a sculptor. Having lived in rural and wild places of Oregon, Alaska, Minnesota, and now Northern California she is passionate about deep ecology and environmental activism. She served as a naturalist and environmental educator and built educational land-use models to help raise awareness about sustainable land-use practices and water quality protection.

Currently, her favorite form of environmental activism is creating beautiful, uplifting, and meaningful art that fosters appreciation and respect for our natural world. Karel is also a musician, poet, and dancer and weaves together all of her art forms. She lives in the Sierra Foothills with her musician and photographer husband Jonathan, her cat Phoebe, and dog Buddy. Her website is www.karelhendee.com and her blog “Fleurish” can be found on her website.