At the age of four, Karen Ann Hargreaves-Fitzsimmons encountered art for the first time, essentially finding the center of her life and career. Her mother encouraged her interests by buying her an easel, chalkboard and anything else she needed to do her artwork. Aware of her own potential, Ms. Hargreaves-Fitzsimmons continued enrolling in art courses throughout college but overall focused her efforts on sociology and anthropology. In 1967, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from Oakland University and went on to serve as a counselor for the Michigan State Employment Commission in Detroit from 1969 to 1973. Simultaneously, she also received a Master of Arts from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1971.

Some years later, Ms. Hargreaves-Fitzsimmons and her husband made the move to Japan and it was there that she found her true passion for painting. She learned about Japanese styles of painting, which she proudly adopted as her own, and has since leveraged these talents to create her own pieces in ink, in which she paints landscapes, animals and inspirational individuals she has met in her life journey. Since 1973, she has been the owner and art director of her own studio, Katydid Productions, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition, between 1984 and 1988, Ms. Hargreaves-Fitzsimmons taught as an instructor at Oakland University, Corpus Christi College, Oxford University and the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit.

To add to her feats, Ms. Hargreaves-Fitzsimmons has also authored or co-authored numerous books throughout her career, including “Water Ground Stone” in 1993, a compilation of stories, poetry, essays and ink-brush paintings she created while residing in Japan. The co-author of “In the Cemetery There” with her husband, she has also illustrated other books he has written. She has also been the designer and illustrator for 40 other books on American, European, Japanese and Bengali prose and poetry.

Reflecting on her illustrious career, Ms. Hargreaves-Fitzsimmons recalls her greatest achievements have been her numerous one-woman shows in Japan, as it truly influenced every other aspect of her life. She has also enjoyed traveling and meeting so many artists, along with being exposed to the sumi-e technique, as investigating art and dabbling in self-expression has been incredibly rewarding for her.