Kaja’s Studio

Hello, from my studio. I’m an emerging artist who blends the botanical with the antique. For nearly two decades, my medium was the earth itself. As a garden designer, I spent my days arranging plants—balancing composition, texture, shape, and color to create green sanctuaries for clients. Today, I apply those principles to a different kind of canvas, but the inspiration remains the same: the wild, resilient beauty of the natural world.

The Artist & Maker’s Mark

When in the garden and in the pages of my books, I’m Karen—a designer of landscapes and a teller of stories. But when I step into the quiet of the studio, I return to a more private self.

At the easel, I work under the name Kaja.

Kaja is my husband’s nickname for me, a nickname for Karen in both Polish and Swedish, of which I’m both. And now it serves as my maker’s mark. It represents the intimacy of the creative process—the moments where the noise of the world falls away and only the texture of the paper and curve of a petal remain. While my history is rooted in twenty years of garden design as Karen, my art is signed as Kaja. It is my way of ensuring that every piece leaving the studio carries with it the spirit of the sanctuary where it was born.

The Art of the New Artifact

My philosophy is to "reuse and renew" whenever I can. I’m an intentional hunter of overlooked and discarded ephemera. Drawing from my time living in France, I love antique objects that carry a sense of history—vintage papers, foxed photographs, forgotten jewelry, and romantic fabrics.

I fuse these fragments with paint and botanical elements to create what I call “New Artifacts.” These pieces feel as though they were unearthed rather than manufactured, bridging the gap between a found object and fine art.

A Commitment to the Earth

Because my heart’s still in the garden, I am deeply committed to the materials I use. Whenever possible, I use natural and reclaimed elements. My paints, glues, and finishes are non-toxic whenever possible, and most of my papers and "baubles" are from charity shops and rummage sales.

Whether the material comes directly from the earth or from the "world of the overlooked," my goal is to give you a beautiful, soulful viewing experience.