Karen Sue Wheeler (born 1955 in
Winfield, Kansas
Winfield is a city and county seat of Cowley County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in South Central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,777. It is home to Southwestern College.
Hi ...
) is an American artist who was born with a neurodegenerative condition called
spinal muscular atrophy
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disorder that results in the loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting. It is usually diagnosed in infancy or early childhood and if left untreated it is the most common genetic ...
which causes muscle wasting. She uses a technique called "layering" that resembles colored pencil. Each painting that she produces takes from 150 to 500 hours to complete.
Childhood
Wheeler was born in 1955 in Winfield, Kansas, and is the middle of three children. Her parents were told she would not live beyond a year old.
Wheeler says that she started creating art when she was 5, because she was unable to play outside.
College
Wheeler attended
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College is a public community college in Santa Ana, California.
History
In 1915, Santa Ana Junior College opened its doors to 25 students as a department of Santa Ana High School. It was the second community college founded in Orange ...
before transferring to
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
, where she received a master's degree in art in 1981 with a 4.0 grade point average.
Career
Wheeler has developed a sling-like device
that she wears on her arm to assist her with wielding her tools, rather a brush, pencil or pen. She uses a small brush and very little pigment that creates a dry-brush effect called "layering" that resembles colored pencil. Each painting that she produces takes from 150 to 500 hours to complete.
Wheeler served on the Board of Directors of
Very Special Arts
VSA, is an international organization on arts, education and disability, which was founded in 1974 by former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith, and is headquartered in Washington, DC. In 2011, VSA became the Department of VSA and Ac ...
California from 1985 to 1992, and currently serves as an honorary board member. She was selected as Disabled Professional Woman of the Year by the Pilot Club of Southeast Los Angeles in 1990, and has been a board member of the (Las) Vegas Artists Guild since 2003, serving two terms as president and was the Director of Vegas Artists Guild, and in charge of Shows until September 2012.
In April 2012, Wheeler with business partner, William Schnell co-created GoHitYourself.com. They created the site to educate persons with disabilities on how to better their situations and to illuminate these situations for the able-bodied person. In 2014, Wheeler and Schnell rebranded and merged GoHitYourself.com with Wheeler's personal site where her amazing art is now profiled alongside her stories about living with a disability. The rebranded site is located at KarenWheeler.com.
Works
Wheeler's early works are watercolor, but she has also used oil paints, acrylics, pencils and ink. Her subject matter varies but she is known to hide a rose in most of her pieces which symbolizes herself.
References
External links
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MDA Publications: 'Artist's Lennon Tribute Featured in Vegas'QUEST Article: 'Bringing the World to Dale'*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Karen
Living people
1955 births
People from Winfield, Kansas
American artists with disabilities
People with spinal muscular atrophy
21st-century American women painters
21st-century American painters
21st-century American artists