Karen Bailey

Karen Bailey paints people. Her most recent work, the Official Portrait of the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, 27th Governor General of Canada, was unveiled at Rideau Hall, Ottawa in September 2012.

Many of her works feature behind-the-scenes workers and under-recognized people. As an appointed military artist (CFAP 2006-07), she traveled to Afghanistan in June 2007 to document military medical personnel at the Role 3 Hospital in Kandahar. "Triage" is the resulting body of work, over two years in the making.

Past series have highlighted the working life of servers and hairstylists. “Blanche Dot Doris”, focused on older women who prepare food for church functions while her “Marjorie” paintings celebrated the life of friend and former neighbour, Marjorie Gray.

A graduate of the Reigate School of Art & Design, England, her past work has included courtroom drawing for Global Television, book illustration for Appletree Press, U.K., heraldic art and calligraphy. Twice she has received the prestigious Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grants for drawing and painting.

Karen Bailey’s diverse career spans three decades. She first exhibited in 1981 when her detailed heraldic art appeared at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as part of Heraldry Now 1975-1981. Most recently, her largest canvas to date, Blast Victims, was included in the War & Medicine exhibition at the Canadian War Museum.

A painter of people, through her art she seeks to represent beauty, honesty and most importantly, humanity.

Selected Solo Exhibitions
2010 Rideau Hall, selected works from "Triage" (June)
2010 Dale Smith Gallery, "tea/leaves"
2010 Ottawa School of Art, "Triage
2008 Dale Smith Gallery, Ottawa “Blanche, Dot, Doris”
2006 IPO Gallery, Ottawa “Marjorie”
2005 Ottawa Art Gallery, Rental & Sales Service, Ottawa “Are You Being Served?”
2001 Fulford Gallery, Ottawa
1989 Mount Street Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
1988 Artscourt, Ottawa
1987 City Hall, Ottawa

Selected Joint Exhibitions
2003 Here + Now Gallery, Toronto (with Laurie Zinkand-Selles) “New Directions”
2001 Visual Arts Centre Orleans (with Barbara Bailey) “Sisters-Painterly Relations”
1984 City Hall, Ottawa (with George Foster)

Selected Group Exhibitions
2011 Canadian War Museum, Ottawa,"War & Medicine"
2009 McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, ON “A Brush With War - Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan”
2009 DND Headquarters. Ottawa - Canadian Forces Artists Program 2006-07
2008 ARC Gallery, Chicago USA “Are We There Yet? 40 years of Feminism”
2007 Distill, Toronto “distill cup 07”
2007 Anglican Synod, Winnipeg, Manitoba “Sacred Expressions”
2005 Ottawa School of Art, “Portraits in Circumstance”
2001 Women’s Art Association, Toronto, Trapeze “Imaging the Self”
1991 Nancy Poole’s Studio, Toronto
1990 Soloman Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
1981 Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England “Heraldry Now 1975-1981”

Grants & Awards
2010 Council for the Arts Ottawa - Finalist, Mid-Career Artist Award
2007 Ottawa School of Art Emerging New Talent Award
2006-07 Canadian Forces Artist Program (Military artist, Kandahar, Afghanistan)
1995 Ted Marshall Scholarship (Drawing & Painting)
1985 Elizabeth Greenshields Grant (Drawing & Painting)
1983 Elizabeth Greenshields Grant (Drawing & Painting)


Current Work Official Portrait of Michaëlle Jean 27th Governor General of Canada (2012) tea/leaves (2010) Afghanistan (2007-09) (Canadian Forces Artist Program) Blanche Dot Doris (2008) Doris (2008-10) Marjorie (2006-07) Cut (2005-07) Are You Being Served? small 2005 Are You Being Served? 2004-05 Assortment (2009-2011) guest artist Barbara Bailey Triage book Exhibitions & news studio Press Biography Contact		Self Portraits Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Courtroom Drawing Past Series Flowers New Directions Lucy Interiors Landscapes & Animals Nudes Shopfronts Still Life Gouache Book Illustration Heraldry people in my life Familiar Faces (1999-2001) Memories Cafe (1997-98) Elmwood School (2004-2005) Sketches (1995-2004)
	Karen Bailey in her studio, early September 2012, with the official portrait of The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, 27th Governor General of Canada. Photo by Iain Main
	Karen Bailey paints people. Her most recent work, the Official Portrait of the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, 27th Governor General of Canada, was unveiled at Rideau Hall, Ottawa in September 2012. Many of her works feature behind-the-scenes workers and under-recognized people. As an appointed military artist (CFAP 2006-07), she traveled to Afghanistan in June 2007 to document military medical personnel at the Role 3 Hospital in Kandahar. "Triage" is the resulting body of work, over two years in the making. Past series have highlighted the working life of servers and hairstylists. “Blanche Dot Doris”, focused on older women who prepare food for church functions while her “Marjorie” paintings celebrated the life of friend and former neighbour, Marjorie Gray. A graduate of the Reigate School of Art & Design, England, her past work has included courtroom drawing for Global Television, book illustration for Appletree Press, U.K., heraldic art and calligraphy. Twice she has received the prestigious Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grants for drawing and painting. Karen Bailey’s diverse career spans three decades. She first exhibited in 1981 when her detailed heraldic art appeared at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as part of Heraldry Now 1975-1981. Most recently, her largest canvas to date, Blast Victims, was included in the War & Medicine exhibition at the Canadian War Museum. A painter of people, through her art she seeks to represent beauty, honesty and most importantly, humanity. Selected Solo Exhibitions 2010 Rideau Hall, selected works from "Triage" (June) 2010 Dale Smith Gallery, "tea/leaves" 2010 Ottawa School of Art, "Triage 2008 Dale Smith Gallery, Ottawa “Blanche, Dot, Doris” 2006 IPO Gallery, Ottawa “Marjorie” 2005 Ottawa Art Gallery, Rental & Sales Service, Ottawa “Are You Being Served?” 2001 Fulford Gallery, Ottawa 1989 Mount Street Gallery, Dublin, Ireland 1988 Artscourt, Ottawa 1987 City Hall, Ottawa Selected Joint Exhibitions 2003 Here + Now Gallery, Toronto (with Laurie Zinkand-Selles) “New Directions” 2001 Visual Arts Centre Orleans (with Barbara Bailey) “Sisters-Painterly Relations” 1984 City Hall, Ottawa (with George Foster) Selected Group Exhibitions 2011 Canadian War Museum, Ottawa,"War & Medicine" 2009 McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, ON “A Brush With War - Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan” 2009 DND Headquarters. Ottawa - Canadian Forces Artists Program 2006-07 2008 ARC Gallery, Chicago USA “Are We There Yet? 40 years of Feminism” 2007 Distill, Toronto “distill cup 07” 2007 Anglican Synod, Winnipeg, Manitoba “Sacred Expressions” 2005 Ottawa School of Art, “Portraits in Circumstance” 2001 Women’s Art Association, Toronto, Trapeze “Imaging the Self” 1991 Nancy Poole’s Studio, Toronto 1990 Soloman Gallery, Dublin, Ireland 1981 Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England “Heraldry Now 1975-1981” Grants & Awards 2010 Council for the Arts Ottawa - Finalist, Mid-Career Artist Award 2007 Ottawa School of Art Emerging New Talent Award 2006-07 Canadian Forces Artist Program (Military artist, Kandahar, Afghanistan) 1995 Ted Marshall Scholarship (Drawing & Painting) 1985 Elizabeth Greenshields Grant (Drawing & Painting) 1983 Elizabeth Greenshields Grant (Drawing & Painting)