As a child, Karen Theusen was punished for the very activity that is now her livelihood. “I used to get in trouble for drawing on the walls,” Theusen confesses. For the past fifteen years, however, no one has been complaining about the hobby that was illicit years so many years ago; Theusen has been working as a commercial artist, painting murals for businesses in Bellingham, Whatcom County, and Seattle for the past decade and a half.
Theusen’s early interest in art developed into a passion as she grew older; she credits her high school art teacher in with encouraging her to pursue her artistic talents and helping her to develop a portfolio, noting that the teacher, Frank Scarpetta, a sculptor, “lit the fire” and encouraged her to enter competitions. After gaining confidence as an artist, Theusen attended Art College of Design in Pasadena intending to become a children’s book illustrator. So far, her work has appeared in How to Plan a Party with Pizzazz, Toddlers Together, and numerous coloring books. With training in graphic and computer design, she has also designed interactive computer games, including Freddy Fish, Spyfox, and Backyard Soccer 2004. She continues to pursue work as a children’s book illustrator, commenting, “I’m excited. I’m working on some new paintings,” she says, describing a series of polar bear illustrations she hopes will find a home with a publisher.
Although she claims she never has time to paint her own house—“it’s like the cobbler’s children having no shoes”—Theusen’s work appears in dozens of other homes. “I just finished a Tuscany bathroom in a private home in Bellingham that was a lot of fun to do,” she says. In addition, she works steadily for Quadrant Homes in Seattle, which has her paint 4-6 rooms in each model home. “Each house has a theme,” Theusen explains, “And I have a lot of freedom. I like to do playful, whimsical stuff.” Themes for rooms and sometimes, entire homes, include tropical or jungle scenes and cultural images.
Many of Theusen’s current projects are murals, a talent she developed in college working for a Pasadena company called Paintin’ Place. Her work, with its bright, bold colors, should be familiar to Whatcom County residents. It adorns the west side of the Community Food Co-op on Forest Street in downtown Bellingham and the back side of the Pepper Sisters restaurant on State Street, just a few blocks away. The Co-op mural, which features large, sandal-glad feet extending in front of a scene of people enjoying the outdoors, is of her own design, but occasionally she works to order. The abstract design on the Pepper Sisters building, for example, was designed by the restaurant’s owner. Theusen worked with another artist, Margie Willits, to fine-tune and complete the enormous murals, and she sometimes employs 1-2 helpers to complete large projects, which can take up to nine months to complete.
“I like doing commercial things that the public can enjoy,” Theusen says. In addition to the Co-op and Pepper Sisters artwork, she recently completed interior paintings at the re-opened, renovated Shrimp Shack on Cornwall and Chestnut in downtown Bellingham. One features a map of the San Juan Islands, and the other a porthole view of an orca breaching-- one of Theusen’s personal favorites. “I love painting animals,” she says. When asked if she’s responsible for any of the painted window scenes around the city, she laughs. “I don’t do windows.”
Besides book illustration and murals, Theusen also does individual paintings. She counts among her inspirations Maxfield Parrish, Picasso, Dieven Corn,and local artist Susan Bennestrom. Her work was recently on display at the Peter James Gallery on Holly Street for a Gallery Walk. James says Theusen’s work “feels very alive.” Although she used to show a lot of her individual paintings, commercial art began to consume more of Theusen’s time and energy, and now she finds herself drawn back into the permanence of individual works. She does, however, enjoy the creative process in all its forms. If a commercial work is covered someday, she says, “I figure it’s always there under the paint.”
Cathy Belben is a Bellingham resident and freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Northwest AMP, Bicycle Paper, School Library Journal, and Bookmarks Magazine.
Karen’s murals can be
viewed at:
Community Food Co-Op 1220 N. Forest, Bellingham
Pepper Sisters Restaurant, 1055 N. State St., Bellingham
Shrimp Shack, Cornwall and Chestnut, Bellingham
Karen Theusen’s Website:
www.kltdesigns.com