Karen Ann Sim – Illustrator

Karen Ann Sim was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada before moving to her current home in Calgary, Alberta. A self-proclaimed “doodle-bug” from an early age, Karen focused much of her life’s activities around art and music.

Karen began to do commissioned artwork in many different mediums, and sold her work at local festivals, conventions, and art shows. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts at the University of Calgary, she began to work seriously as an artist/musician, making her living from singing and/or playing violin with local orchestras and performance groups, or on her own, and from creating custom artwork for tattoos and costume makeup to portraits and magazine covers.

Karen’s preferred style is drawing, followed closely by sculpture, and her subjects range from cartoon caricatures to abstract/surreal works in oil pastel. Although Karen has illustrated children’s books before, Romeo’s World is her first widespread published work.

Karen has taught both elementary school art classes and beginning violin lessons to children aged 4 and up, and is always amazed at how quickly children learn and how openly they express their creativity, a skill too many adults neglect in themselves.

Karen also loves animals of all kinds, and delights in creating new animal characters for children to see and be curious about.

At present, Karen resides in Calgary with her husband Andy, her German Shepherd Shilo, her Ball Python Thomas, two pudgy pufferfish and a jungle of green leafy houseplants with obscure historical names. She is currently working on a third post-secondary degree in Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership at Mount Royal College, and also plays violin and electric bass in a few local groups.