Karen Rankin Neal

New Zealand Artist | Pastel, Scratchboard & Prints

Art has always been my passion, along with wildlife, nature and travel. For as long as I can remember I have sketched and drawn animals. I started working as a professional artist in 2009 and mainly work with two very different mediums; Pastel & Scratchboard. I love the drama aspect of working in monochrome with Scratchboard, and the degree of detail I can achieve to depict birds and wildlife in representational artworks.

I also very much enjoy Pastel as a medium, because of its softness & blendability, quite the opposite to wielding a scalpel blade! Rarely without my camera, I use photography (and photoshop) as an integral first ‘drawing’ stage for my art. I enjoy visiting predator-free islands and bird sanctuaries, and often spend many hours capturing our wonderful native birds for reference material. Commissioned wildlife paintings have a percentage donated to an animal or conservation cause (of choice).

Karen is the recipient of several awards including the Distinguished Artist Honorary Award with PANZ (DPANZ) 2021 - Pastel Artists of New Zealand, winner of the Hope & Sons Art Awards, Dunedin 2020, "Aperture" (Lace Moko series) pastel portrait and the Supreme Award 2013 Impressions Nelson Art Awards “Lace Moko III” (pastel).