KAREN MARIE IMAGES

​Hello, I am Karen Marie Jenkins of Karen Marie Images.  I am a creative artist and life long lover of fashion and the arts. I reunited with my teen age dream of becoming a fashion design during covid. in late 2021.

I have always been inspired by fashion, art and young people.  These values were instilled in me through my parents and maternal grandmother. My grandmother was an entrepreneur, fashion model, and a top saleswoman for Johnson Publishing Company (Chicago, Illinois- Ebony/Jet Magazine) in the 1960′s, and appeared in the popular publication, Jet magazine. She later became her own boss owning real estate, operating a fashion thrift shop, and selling Mary Kay.

My mother has had a lasting impact on my love of art and fashion, when she introduced me to art as a way of healing childhood bullying. In elementary school, she supplied me with art supplies, which ultimately led to my life long passion for art, fashion, and illustration. In the 1970's my mom seeing my love for fashion and art sent me to Sears Department store to their sewing class where I fell in love with the process of fashion construction. I still clearly remember the teal colored two outfit I made in the class. I loved it!  Sewing and drawing outfits and elaborate gowns in my sketch pads was my hobby and passion.

My dad, a high school dropout who later in life graduated with an Associate Degree while becoming a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). He went on to earn his  Master’s Degree in Finance with honors and opened his own successful accounting/finance business after a 15 year plus career as an IRS tax agent and auditor. He also captured my entrepreneurial and educational aspirations. His creative side for taking pictures propelled my passion for photography upon giving me his 35 mm camera in the 1990's. My family very much instilled my life long love for the arts and fashion as both my parents were very sharp dressers. 

In the 1980's I moved from Cincinnati to Denver, Colorado. There I, took in the culture and history of the West, volunteering at the Black American West Museum under the founder Paul Stewart.  Never hearing of Black Western History, I learned about the fascinating history of Black Cowboys and Black Pioneers. This volunteer position, lead to a paid summer internship at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC working with Dr. Spencer Crew, the curator of Field to Factory exhibit documenting the largest Black Migration from the South to the North in Black history. After almost a decade living in Colorado, I moved back home to  Cincinnati, graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor's degree in History and a minor in Afro American Studies. Two years later, I graduated with a Master's of Art in Humanities soon after teaching part time at Miami University, (Oxford, Hamilton) & Xavier University.

In this same time period, I became a Black Culture and Arts writer for the Cincinnati Herald Newspaper along with teaching art and photography after school classes for The School of Creative and Performing Arts (Cincinnati)  (SCPA) and the Cincinnati Arts Association (Aronoff).  At SCPA, I curated a student photography exhibit in which every student's art work was sold. 

From 1998 to 2016,  I established my career at Northern Kentucky University. I taught Black Studies, Writing and was a Coordinator for a Student Learning Support Program. In 2016, I  took an early retirement from Northern Kentucky University and pivoted to become a personal brand photographer, serving female entrepreneurs, and creatives upon moving to Atlanta, Georgia for two years.  My photography clients were primarily powerful women who desired non-traditional powerful images that captured their true essence and story.  I moved back to Cincinnati in 2018.

Fast forward to 2021, during Covid, mourning the loss of my son , Treye Jenkins Smith also an artist  in Nov 2021, I found myself reuniting with my teen dream of becoming a fashion designer, and upon his death establishing an art fund Memorial in his name: Treye Jenkins Smith Art Fund.  While making copies of his artwork and photos at Cincinnati 'Maker's Space, for his art memorial,  I discovered our local library gave sewing classes. Mourning my son, and preparing for his art memorial in the Maker's Space, I took the sewing class. Learning once again, art is healing. Art is a form of therapy. Art allows you to problem solve. Art once again gave me life and saved me spirit.

Shortly after the class, I purchased my first sewing machine, and taught myself to sew and make patterns. The dream I had as a teenager with a desire to attend Fashion School, but was delayed as Baby Boomers were expected to get a 'real' job.  To be clear fashion Design is a very real career for many.  I instead choose a successful career becoming as a college professor, and I loved it.  It's never too late to pivot and learn something new.  As an evolving life learner,  I have learned things always change and either you change with it or you risk the possibility of leaving your dreams behind. 

In November of 2025, I published my first book "Take Your Coat Off & Stay Awhile: A Fashion Design Coloring and Fashion Designer Stories Book.  A dream come true!

Karen Marie Jenkins is a creative: Fashion Designer, Fashion Illustrator, Book Author & Retired College Professor.