The Bluebell Gallery

Karen Reep 

The Bluebell Gallery, Bedford Hospital (May 2025)

I am Karen and I’ve been a nurse for 40 years in Paediatrics and I have worked at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital’s children unit for 30 years.

I’ve loved art since a child and throughout my career, I have drawn pictures for colleagues, friends and family. I retired from nursing three years ago to pursue my art career and I’m now a full time artist. I specialise mainly in pet portraits and British wildlife as I have always loved animals and, of course, children.

I sketched all my colleagues during Covid to recognise their bravery during a very challenging time.

I now volunteer for take heART as I am passionate about decorating the bland hospital walls with art to cheer everyone up. I have always been very involved in charity work and I have raised around £60,000 with my family and friends for local hospitals in Bedfordshire and Cambridge, as well as for charities, since my own child was very poorly 15 years ago. Now, take heART is my latest charity and means a lot to me.

I hope you like my work in the Bluebell Gallery. Please email me if you would like a portrait of your pet at karenreep1234@icloud.com

To donate to take heART, visit the take heART JustGiving page.

Click on the images below to see the artwork currently on display in The Bluebell Gallery.