Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Karen Maiolo studied at the Dundas Valley School of Art and at the Ontario College of Art. In 1991, Maiolo relocated to Banff where she has developed and continues to have an active painting practice. As a painter, she has participated in a number of group shows in the Bow Valley in the past decade as well as two highly praised solo exhibitions in 2006 and 2008. Maiolo's works are in private collections throughout Canada, the United States, Australia, England and Holland.
"When I am not working in the studio, you can find me outdoors planting gardens for other folks. This may explain why a lot of my imagery involves natural forms. I chose to divide my glacier lilies into separate panels of wood and matte board. Separating the image into individual paintings allows one to look into a single panel, exploring the different forms from the ground to the in-between spaces; how they stand alone and reconcile themselves to the whole. There is such a dynamic world moving, almost invisibly, in this place we name "the garden"; the forest, the rivers, the flowers in the meadow, the light in the sky. I want to see it, recognize it in my work. The spirit of it all."