Born in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada, Karen Stene was raised in a family of artists. Her family includes photographers, opera singers, lecturers, and architects, so her natural artistic skill was no surprise. This environment also allowed her talent to be recognized when she was very young and she was always encouraged to develop it. As a result, Stene pursued a career in modeling after she graduated from the University of British Columbia. In addition to appealing to her aesthetic sensibilities, this career made it possible for her to study at the Emily Carr Art Institute in Vancouver and the Institute d’Allende School of Art in San Miguel, Mexico and it allowed her to travel the world.

The extensive traveling Stene did in her youth inspired a life-long wanderlust; in turn, these travels have inspired her artwork. Stene once traveled the globe on a self-build sailboat, visiting the azure coasts of Spain, the awe-inspiring palaces of India, and the marketplaces of Italy;her experiences in these culturally and visually rich places translate into remarkable, vibrant artistic creations. Her artwork is often characterized by the rich hues she uses, her talent for utilization depth and perspective, and the unique way she uses light and shadow to create an image that is as close as possible to actually being in the exotic locale it depicts.

Stene’s artwork can be found in numerous private, public, and corporate collections around the work. She has also earned extensive acclaim in group and solo exhibitions and is affiliated with countless artists’ organizations, including the Federation of Canadian Artists, the Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton Museums of Art, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D. C.