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Karen Sim

@ksimartist.bsky.social

420 followers 780 following 170 posts

Creature artist and illustrator from Nanaimo, Canada. Dog-mom to a fur-missile, caffeine-fueled bibliophile, and a Tamer of Squonks! Open for commissions Traditional and digital. NoAI (*hisss) Creator of “Oliver the Squonk” http://www.karensimart.com

www.karensimart.com

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · 1d

All set up and ready to rock! This place is already so beautiful, but now we get to ghoul it up!
Bonus! Come down for a sneak peek of the first ever squishy version of Oliver the Squonk! Perhaps even more to come?…. 😉

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · 9d

I have some new merch in mail limbo, but with a little luck (and some naproxen and meditation apps), I may be able to get a new piece ready in time…

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · 9d

It’s been a crushing last couple of weeks, and I’m now essentially a corpse, animated through the power of coffee, necessity, and spite… BUT! More importantly! I’m back in Victoria for the Crafts from the Crypt Fair!

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · 20d

It darn well is, ain’t it? 🩵

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · 20d

Some days, it just be like that…
Don’t forget to unplug and go breathe the outside air if ye can 🩵

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Sep 9

*also, just a WIP for y’all to show ye I’m still working… 😉

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Sep 9

Sometimes I like to ramble. And sometimes I decide to actually jot down my thoughts on the questions I keep getting from other artists at shows and workshops.
SO! This one’s for my fair friends who’re looking for good references and inspiration!
https://www.patreon.com/posts/references-aka-138533875

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Sep 4

The heat has really been rough, despite my efforts to “toughen up”, but Oliver the Squonk has been coping at least- and we have gotten some gorgeous skies out of it at least?

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Sep 4

First event in a couple of months is coming up quickly! I have a couple little newbies being shipped, but the most fun will be playing with my ever changing setup. If you’re in Nanaimo this Saturday, dip in and say hello (and watch the chaos!)…

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Aug 21

#oliverthesquonk #squonk #cryptid #traditionalart #pencilart

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Aug 21

In the meantime, it looks like Oliver hasn’t quite grasped the concept of masking up when the air is seriously “bleh”, but we’ll keep at it.
Seriously…. We all kinda smell like jerky versions of ourselves here…

Be well, my friends! 🩵😶‍🌫️

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Aug 21

The smoke has finally eased off at least, though the smell lightly lingers… It’s been an awkward last couple of months, but my next show is fast approaching, so I’m pulling things together once more.

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Aug 19

Ok, this is objectively brilliant!

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Aug 13

Great plan until the early evening unleashed an outside temperature spike, and a “refreshing” waft of second-hand forest fire. Fingers crossed for our Port Alberni neighbours 😥

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Aug 13

After getting most of my to-do list done today, I realized just how overheated I’d become in the house, and after some relaxing creature-doodling, the house coyote demanded time in the shade, water, wind.

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Jul 10

Am I to somehow create the worlds skinniest charcoal stick that isn’t hard enough to only gouge lines on concrete, or so soft that any attempt to sharpen it will crumble it like the Dark World’s feta??
Sigh….. a good sign to go outside, eh?…

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Jul 10

Ahh the familiar feeling of needing a pencil extender… Also, why are the “blackest blacks” reserved for paint?

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Jul 6

And a little magical realism from another storyteller I’ve only encountered online, in a time of community and chaos.
Enjoying the journey so far…
@coyotewallace.bsky.social

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Jul 6

I’ve been wrestling down the roiling anger and frustration by turning my attention more to my community, and to outward environmental stimuli that demonstrate calm, love, and resilience. A perfectly coiling creeping vine in my garden. A wide, calm, and open summer sky. My snoozing house-coyote.

Colour digital environment sketch on an iPad screen, set in a Sketchboard Pro, with a copy of “American Mystic: The Life, Death, & Rebirth of Jimmy Wonderful” by author Coyote Wallace

The artist’s hand petting the head of her sleeping German Shepherd dog

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Jun 23

What started as a quick sketchbook study of my snoozing dog has evolved into the above.
What story do YOU see unfolding here?….

Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Jun 23

The monsters of my world building project “Ænim” don’t just have humans to contend with- there is a healthy population of invasive Earth animals as well, and I’m looking forward to adding their stories to the growing pile for my ongoing collection…

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Jun 17

Needed to really dig into something, so I pulled an original creatures sketch scan out of mothballs, and decided to start sketching up a fresher paintover….

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Jun 4

Welph…I decided to dig in and add elements. Because…bonus puppies.
The picking away grinds on…..

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · Jun 2

Managed to sneak off to a fantastic local coffee shop this weekend, and dig into an older sketch I’d left buried in a sketchbook…

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Karen Sim @ksimartist.bsky.social · May 21

Getting my work days sorted out again, mostly by doing several things at once, so that nothing gets truly accomplished in a reasonable amount of time! It’s the ADHD way! 💪🏻☕️☕️⏱️
Cuz the grind don’t stop!*
*If the grind don’t stop for more than 6 days without a finished product, seek professional help*

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