Website: www.ArtByZuk.com
A Musical Start
Zuk was born into a household where creativity lived in the walls. Her father was a talented illustrator and commercial artist, and from an early age, she displayed a natural artistic bent. But it was music—specifically the piano—that became her focus, heavily influenced by her mother’s encouragement (and, at times, domination).
Despite excelling in art throughout school, her mother steered her toward music, seeing it as a more respectable and secure path. Zuk began piano lessons at age ten, taught by her concert-performing aunt. Although art remained close to her heart, there simply wasn’t time to pursue both.
She went on to study music at New York University, choosing the school not for its prestige but because her mother agreed to pay tuition only for a degree that led to teaching. She continued studying piano privately at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, switching from NYU’s piano track to a vocal curriculum so she could continue her preferred instruction outside the university.
Zuk gave concerts at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, wrote songs and lyrics with a musical collaborator, and explored music publishing. Despite some interest from industry professionals, gender barriers and timing interfered with her aspirations. Nevertheless, she earned a performance degree and teaching certification, and began teaching piano privately, forming ensembles, and giving public performances.
A Forced Pause, and a New Beginning
It was during this time that physical pain brought a turning point. A strained ligament in her hand forced her to stop playing. Around the same time, her soprano collaborator moved away, and her father’s long-term heart condition worsened. The stress of his illness, combined with the physical strain of performance preparation, made it increasingly difficult for her to continue with concerts. Something had to give.
Amidst this upheaval, Zuk turned toward another lifelong love: gardening. She launched a small business designing indoor terrariums and patio gardens. A standout project was a custom penthouse installation in New Jersey, where she collaborated with her father. The success of that project was memorable—a moment of pride shared between them. When her father passed away not long after, she inherited his art supplies. With time on her hands and practice time no longer required, she began teaching herself to paint using VHS tapes and local classes.
Painting Takes Centre Stage
Zuk’s first serious attempt at painting was an oil landscape of a wooded stream. She submitted it to a local art show and won first place. The excitement was electric. She began entering more shows, bought a tent, and started selling her work at outdoor events. Ironically, many of her shows were in libraries and venues where she had once performed music.
Soon, art became her primary vocation. She studied commercial art like her father, learning hand lettering and graphic design just as computers were being introduced. Her husband retired and wanted to move to Florida—a decision Zuk resisted at first, as her art career was taking off. But they moved, their children went their separate ways, and she brought her creative drive south.
Florida and a New Artistic Identity
In Florida, she continued art studies at the Art Institute and held jobs at printing and design companies. She had started creating wearable art before the move, which continued to sell well. Then came a temporary position at a major jewellery manufacturer that turned into a 10-year career as Art Director.
When she retired, Zuk returned to art shows, painting, and online sales. She explored print-on-demand platforms and began licensing some of her work. During the pandemic, she launched an Etsy shop, which quickly grew popular. Her hand-sewn masks and eventually her artwork became consistent sellers.
Style and Medium
Zuk has worked in virtually every medium: pastels, watercolours, oils, and photography. She ultimately settled on oils as her favourite, citing their buttery consistency, blendability, and rich luminosity. Her whimsical cat paintings have become a signature, especially her best-selling piece Meowjongg – Cats Playing Mahjongg. This painting involved painstaking planning, photographing her mahjong group for reference, and overcoming multiple blocks. The end result? A humorous, highly detailed piece that resonated with audiences and brought in numerous sales.
Another standout in her career is Essence of Cat, an abstract cat face full of colour and expressive lines. It was her very first commission, inspired by her work with a cat rescue group. After donating a piece for a fundraiser raffle, the group president commissioned a large, colourful work for her home with no direction beyond the space. That act of trust became a milestone for Zuk and has since resulted in many print and product sales.
She often draws from imagination, particularly when painting her anthropomorphic cats. Though whimsical, she avoids making them cartoonish. She also draws from travel photography—images from Africa, Italy, and countless boating trips have inspired her landscapes.
Life, Studio, and Artistic Philosophy
Zuk works from a modest studio in a 12×14 foot room. Her easel stands in front of a window, and she has custom shelving in the closet along with two old dressers to store her supplies. She dreams of knocking down a wall to expand her space, but for now, it works.
Balancing art and caregiving, Zuk is now the sole carer for her husband, who uses a wheelchair. This makes outdoor art shows difficult, but she remains active online. She has joined several supportive art groups, including a monthly painting challenge and another that offers critiques and demos.
Zuk offers commissions—especially pet portraits and special locations—but finds they take far more emotional effort than her personal pieces. Her philosophy is grounded in realism but guided by impressionistic principles. Over time, she’s worked to let go of perfectionism: “Perfection is boring,” she says. “Paint without fear.”
She recalls a pivotal class at the Armory Art Center in Florida, where an impressionist instructor transformed a student’s struggling painting with bold strokes and renewed energy. That moment stuck with Zuk, and she draws from it whenever she finds herself nitpicking.
She reflects, too, on her early identity as a professional. “When I first began entering art shows, the form asked, ‘Are you a professional artist?’ I didn’t know how to answer because I was older than many and mostly self-taught. But I had sold at every show, done commissions—even sold paintings off my boat! So I was told, ‘Yes, you are.’ Still, the confidence took time.”
Exhibitions and Recognition
She has participated in many gallery and solo shows. Not all met expectations of sales, but they built her reputation and confidence. Her work has adorned family homes, offices, and community spaces. One early piece, an impressionistic stream with an unusually high horizon, received mixed reviews from a critic but sold quickly—a lesson in trusting her instincts.
Though many of her former guilds and galleries have closed, she still finds open calls and opportunities. Two upcoming shows at The Artist’s Eye Gallery in Lake Worth—From The Soul of Artists and Human – Not AI Art—will feature her work, with receptions in June and August.
The Artist Today
Zuk continues to paint, entering themed challenges and developing new pieces like Cats Playing Pool and Cats Playing Canasta. She acknowledges the pressure to live up to Meowjongg, but pushes through by letting go of comparison.
She dreams of bold, expressive brushwork and has begun focusing more on landscapes and seascapes—subjects she once saw as simple but now embraces as nuanced and rich. Painting small pieces allows her to explore more subjects without the pressure of space.
Final Reflections
Zuk has always pursued creativity—as a musician, painter, designer, and teacher. She acknowledges the validation that comes from sales, awards, and kind words. “We all want that,” she says, “but in the end, we have to keep painting, keep creating, and keep emerging.”
Explore her work:
Website: www.ArtByZuk.com
Etsy: KarenZukRosenblatt
Follow her journey through every brushstroke, every challenge, and every reinvention—a story still unfolding, rich with colour, character, and heart.
