About Karen Perkins Fine Artist
About Karen Perkins
Artist, printmaker, and lover of the places that make the North of England so special.
Hello, I'm Karen
I'm a Peak District & Sheffield-based artist with a passion for capturing the character and colour of the places I love — from the industrial heritage of Kelham Island to the quiet charm of Bradwells streets and countryside.
My work is a celebration of the everyday beauty that surrounds us: the warm brick of a Victorian brewery, the play of light on a canal, the textures of a Derbyshire peak in all the seasons. These are the scenes I return to again and again, each time finding something new to explore.
My Process
I work in mixed media, combining acrylic paint, watercolour, and digital art to create prints that are rich in colour and texture. Each piece begins with observation — sketches, photographs, and time spent simply looking — before I build up layers of paint and digital work to find the final image.
The result is something that sits between painting and photography: vivid, expressive, and full of the energy of the original place. I produce high-quality prints of this mixed-media work, available in A3 and A4, so you can bring a piece of local Sheffield or Derbyshire into your home.
What Inspires Me
Kelham Island holds a special place in my heart. The Cannon Brewery, the old mills, the river — this corner of Sheffield is steeped in history and yet constantly reinventing itself. I find that tension between past and present endlessly inspiring.
The Hope Valley and the Derwent Valley offer a different kind of beauty — softer, greener, with the drama of the hills always in the background. Walking these lanes and footpaths is where many of my ideas begin.
Why Prints?
I believe art should be accessible. Prints allow me to share my work with more people, at a price that makes it possible to live with original art every day. Every print is produced to the highest quality, so the colours and detail of the original mixed-media work come through beautifully on your wall.
If you would like an original painting or commission ... please do contact me.
Whether you grew up in Sheffield, have a connection to the Peak District, or simply love bold, colourful art — I hope my prints bring you as much joy as they bring me to make.
Thank you for visiting. If you'd like to know more or have a question about a print, please don't hesitate to get in touch.