ABOUT THE ARTIST

Karren Tolliver has been creating photographic images for over 20 years. Karren specializes in traditional film photography, concentrating her efforts in monochrome. She also produces images using alternative processes such as toning, hand-coloring, blacklight photography, and Polaroid transfer prints.

Karren has been featured in local publications, and her images have graced the pages and somtimes covers of them.

Karren is from the Midwestern United States, but she has lived in the Southern U.S. as well as in Europe. She currently resides in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. Her images reflect the extensive travel she has done across the U.S. and in many European countries, including Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, the U.K. and the Czech Republic.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature with a minor in Biology from Mississippi University for Women. You can see an image of the campus, titled "Alma Mater", in the hand-colored gallery on this web site. She says, "I studied English because I was interested in writing as a profession. I still haven't given up on it. I believe I will write at least one book in my lifetime."

Aside from a few basic photography seminars, Karren has mainly taught herself the techniques that allow her to produce such beautiful images. She received her first camera in 1984: a Nikon FG-20. She shot mostly color print film and slides for a time, mainly because she did not have an available darkroom. Monochrome, however, was her real interest.

From 1988-1990, Karren produced portraits and taught seminars at a photography studio/darkroom facility. While here she learned studio lighting techniques, the art of the darkroom, and many invaluable nuances of her craft. It was also here, she says, "I learned to 'see monochrome' once I learned the darkroom techniques involved in printing it."

In the early 1990's, she built her own darkroom and has been producing her own monochrome prints ever since. Most recently, in 2000, she remodeled a room in her home, converting it to a combination darkroom/artist studio in which most of her work is created.

Also in the early 1990's, Karren became involved with the Tampa Bay Camera Club, which she credits with helping her hone her abilities through monthly competitions and instructional programs, as well as through association with other talented photographers.

Karren's work has been exhibited in various shows throughout the years, and she has won various awards for her work. Most notably, the monochrome print "Prayer" won the top honor for its category in a nationwide contest. In addition, Karren has won awards from several other contests, including the Florida State Fair and the Florida Strawberry Festival, and she has also created cover art for music CDs.

As the years have progressed, Karren has become more and more interested in alternative processes such as toning ("Water Nymph"), hand-coloring ("Candle"), blacklight photography, and Polaroid transfer prints ("polaroid transfer gallery").

Karren continually strives to grow as a photographer and as an artist in the many processes she has learned. She is ever on the lookout for something new, especially if it transforms an image or negative into a more abstract, unusual form.

Examples of Karren's work can currently be seen at the Progress Energy Art Gallery in New Port Richey, Florida.

The following information is provided for those interested in the technical aspects of Karren's work: