Karen Cole: "Art in Unexpected Places is a Delight"

Karen Cole (O’Driscoll)’s artistic journey was shaped by several influential people, from teachers to Summit County artists. “As a kid I was always making things...dioramas, art, clothes, ceramics, creative writing and I loved it. In high school I had a wonderful art teacher and that is where I fell in love with painting and drawing, specifically pen and ink and watercolor. I never thought I could be a "real" artist, though.” 

Even so, Cole’s fascination with art never dimmed, and she found inspiration along her career path. “When I went to nursing school a couple of my textbooks had beautiful medical art but I had no time to explore that until last year when I did a piece. It really is as cool as I thought it would be.” 

For the next several years Cole threw herself into her career and raising a family, which left little time for painting and drawing. “When the kids were older I started playing around with drawing again, took some classes through [Park City Community Education] and about 10 years ago. Jenny Terry, an artist I have long admired, encouraged me to do the art for a children's book I was writing. Katie Mullaly was also instrumental in encouraging me.” 

A decade on, and Cole has just finished illustrating her third book, written by her friend Lisa Hackwell and titled Parth the Purple Frog, has begun creating animal portraits—“I love doing those!”—and has taken up music and theater. “I have also ventured into performance art and music. I am a tenor drummer with the Utah Firefighters Emerald Society and I learned electric bass guitar a few years ago. I have acted in some short films and especially like working on student films. My favorite was being the lead in a Capstone project at the U and the director won some awards with it. I need another lifetime to do justice to all my interests.”

In spite of her creative proliferation, Cole says she still struggles with the idea of being a “real” artist and has thus far only participated in public art events with her fiber arts, “but I have hopes of branching out into pen and ink and watercolor in this setting as well. For someone like me the opportunity to be a part of this community is amazing. I have seen such lovely works from people here.” Cole sees the value of creative community not just for her own artistic growth, but for the wellness and enjoyment of all people who connect with our region. “Life is....interesting, and making or learning to see and enjoy art wherever we can is life-saving.”

Cole also finds festivals and public art to be a highlight of life in Summit County. “My daughter Amanda and I go to SLC Arts Fest every year for her birthday and then Kimball Arts Fest (locals night is my fave)....I especially enjoy the art on the large utility boxes around town and the weird little sculpture pieces along the trails and roads. So fun. Art in unexpected places is a delight.” 

To see more of Cole’s work, check out her instagram.