Background
Wheeler was born in 1955 in Winfield, Kansas, and is the middle of three children.
Wheeler was born in 1955 in Winfield, Kansas, and is the middle of three children.
Wheeler attended Santa Ana before transferring to California State University, Fullerton, where she received a Master’s Degree in Art in 1981 with a 4.0 grade point average.
She uses a technique called "layering" that resembles colored pencil. Each painting that she produces takes from 150–500 hours to complete. Her parents were told she would not live beyond a year old.
Wheeler says that she started creating art when she was 5, because she was unable to play outside.
Wheeler has developed a sling-like device that she wears on her arm to assist her with wielding her tools, rather a brush, pencil or pen. She uses a small brush and very little pigment that creates a dry-brush effect called "layering" that resembles colored pencil.
Each painting that she produces takes from 150–500 hours to complete. Wheeler served on the Board of Directors of Very Special Arts California from 1985 to 1992, and currently serves as an honorary board member.
They created the site to educate persons with disabilities on how to better their situations and to illuminate these situations for the able-bodied person.
In 2014, Wheeler and Schnell rebranded and merged GoHitYourself.com with Wheeler"s personal site where her amazing art is now profiled alongside her stories about living with a disability. The rebranded site is located at KarenWheeler.com.
She was selected as Disabled Professional Woman of the Year by the Pilot Club of Southeast Los Angeles in 1990, and has been a Board member of the (Las) Vegas Artists Guild since 2003, serving two terms as President and was the Director of Vegas Artists Guild, and in charge of Shows until September 2012.
