About Karen Howell Porcelain
Tiles and mosaics are the focus of Karen's work. Various designs and colors are available. The work is inspired by flora and fauna - animals and the outdoors.
Each piece is handcrafted and painted with glazes which are then fired to achieve a gloss or matt surface. Since the process is time consuming and labor intensive, it may take several weeks to receive an order. Each piece is made to order with attention to quality and detail.
Karen Howell (b. 9/28/48) has been creating functional pottery and one-of-a-kind pieces for more the forty years. She’s a full-time studio artist currently producing porcelain mosaics and tiles as stand-alone feature and installation pieces. A veteran exhibitor in the art festival world, she has sold work retail…and wholesale to galleries across the country. Solo artist shows and invitational exhibits highlight Karen’s career. Her art is included in museum and private collections.
Karen’s background includes five years teaching art in public schools. She’s conducted private ceramic classes and worked as an advertising artist for a daily newspaper.
Karen completed ceramic studies at the Alfred University with Peter Vandenberg and at Penn State with Zellko Kujundzic. A Master’s degree in Ceramics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania followed her Bachelor’s in Art Education. At IUP, she was part of a unique group of artists mentored by the renowned Frank Ross. Karen also earned a Commercial Art diploma at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
Karen is a member of Associated Artist of Pittsburgh. She sits on the marketing board of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and is a member of the Ohio Designer Craftsmen. She is a former board member of the Pittsburgh Craftsmen's Guild where she frequently serves on the jury committee. And for four terms, she held the treasurer’s office of the Artist Co-Op of Washington,Pennsylvania. Karen is the founder and sole member of the Purple Socks Society.
A 2,000 square foot space in the basement of a historic building in Trafford, Pennsylvania has housed Karen’s studio since 1984. The town was named by George Westinghouse after Trafford Park in Manchester, England. Among several factories in this area, Westinghouse built a hotel to accommodate his business guests. He included a bowling alley and billiard room. A restaurant subsequently occupied the space but today you can still identify the hardwood alleys in the floor of Karen’s studio.
It’s a four-mile drive from the studio to Karen’s home in Monroeville but by adjusting her route, for years, she extended the trek for a 10K run. Lately she’s found early AM swims, hiking and yoga to be less abusive…her running trophies have been put away…so there’s more time for gardening.
In addition to her residence, Karen and her husband, Barry, have owned a recreational home in the Allegheny National Forest since 1979. The photograph of Karen in the canoe that accompanies this biography was taken on a middle stretch of the Allegheny River by Barry, a retired advertising salesman. The scary kayaker has been identified as Karen’s brother, Stuart.
Karen grew up in Norvelt, PA; a rural project community developed by Eleanor Roosevelt. Her father, Ray, was a plant engineer…a guy who could build, repair or improve just about anything. Her mother, Amelia, was a housewife and gardener. Together, they endured four naughty kids. Nancy, the oldest, was a secretary who lived much of her life in the Los Angeles area. Stuart, a retired social studies teacher, now lives the life of a vagabond. Karen’s younger sister and fellow “prisoner in the back seat” is Dorothea, an elementary principal in an eastern Pennsylvania school district.
For more of this high adventure saga and the intrigue surrounding Karen Howell, you’ll want to go back to the beginning of this page and read it again.
Karen Howell (b. 9/28/48) has been creating functional pottery and one-of-a-kind pieces for more the forty years. She’s a full-time studio artist currently producing porcelain mosaics and tiles as stand-alone feature and installation pieces. A veteran exhibitor in the art festival world, she has sold work retail…and wholesale to galleries across the country. Solo artist shows and invitational exhibits highlight Karen’s career. Her art is included in museum and private collections.
Karen’s background includes five years teaching art in public schools. She’s conducted private ceramic classes and worked as an advertising artist for a daily newspaper.
Karen completed ceramic studies at the Alfred University with Peter Vandenberg and at Penn State with Zellko Kujundzic. A Master’s degree in Ceramics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania followed her Bachelor’s in Art Education. At IUP, she was part of a unique group of artists mentored by the renowned Frank Ross. Karen also earned a Commercial Art diploma at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
Karen is a member of Associated Artist of Pittsburgh. She sits on the marketing board of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and is a member of the Ohio Designer Craftsmen. She is a former board member of the Pittsburgh Craftsmen's Guild where she frequently serves on the jury committee. And for four terms, she held the treasurer’s office of the Artist Co-Op of Washington,Pennsylvania. Karen is the founder and sole member of the Purple Socks Society.
A 2,000 square foot space in the basement of a historic building in Trafford, Pennsylvania has housed Karen’s studio since 1984. The town was named by George Westinghouse after Trafford Park in Manchester, England. Among several factories in this area, Westinghouse built a hotel to accommodate his business guests. He included a bowling alley and billiard room. A restaurant subsequently occupied the space but today you can still identify the hardwood alleys in the floor of Karen’s studio.
It’s a four-mile drive from the studio to Karen’s home in Monroeville but by adjusting her route, for years, she extended the trek for a 10K run. Lately she’s found early AM swims, hiking and yoga to be less abusive…her running trophies have been put away…so there’s more time for gardening.
In addition to her residence, Karen and her husband, Barry, have owned a recreational home in the Allegheny National Forest since 1979. The photograph of Karen in the canoe that accompanies this biography was taken on a middle stretch of the Allegheny River by Barry, a retired advertising salesman. The scary kayaker has been identified as Karen’s brother, Stuart.
Karen grew up in Norvelt, PA; a rural project community developed by Eleanor Roosevelt. Her father, Ray, was a plant engineer…a guy who could build, repair or improve just about anything. Her mother, Amelia, was a housewife and gardener. Together, they endured four naughty kids. Nancy, the oldest, was a secretary who lived much of her life in the Los Angeles area. Stuart, a retired social studies teacher, now lives the life of a vagabond. Karen’s younger sister and fellow “prisoner in the back seat” is Dorothea, an elementary principal in an eastern Pennsylvania school district.
For more of this high adventure saga and the intrigue surrounding Karen Howell, you’ll want to go back to the beginning of this page and read it again.
Karen Howell Porcelain
