Karen Stiglich

Karen Stiglich is a primarily self-taught artist who began painting after being inspired by her sixth-grade art teacher. Since retiring, she has devoted herself to painting daily, developing a practice focused on figurative abstraction, particularly female figures and couples.

Stiglich lived in Sarasota, Florida, for 26 years, where she studied life drawing and painting at the Ringling School of Art and Design, the Sarasota Center for the Arts, and the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center. She participated in juried exhibitions and received a second-place award and several honorable mentions.

Now based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Stiglich continues to participate in local and international juried exhibitions. Her work has received two second-place prizes, finalist awards, and numerous honorable mentions. In August 2026, Stiglich was awarded third place in the Abstract category of Artists Magazine’s 43rd Annual Art Competition.

Working primarily in acrylic, Stiglich incorporates tissue paper, wrapping paper, copper foil, and gold foil into her mixed-media works. She builds and removes layers of paint to create impressions and textured surfaces.

Stiglich’s artwork is scheduled for publication in Artists Magazine and 100 Women in Art.