Karen Close is an editor of the online journal Sage-ing with Creative Spirit, Grace and Gratitude. She is a painter and author of two books. Unfinished Women: Seeds From My Friendship With Reva Brooks chronicles Close's friendship with aging Canadian photographer Reva Brooks. Spirit of Kelowna: A Celebration of Art and Community profiles a community art project. Teaching English and Visual Arts for 27 years gave Karen a deep appreciation for the healing benefits of creative expression. Retirement in 1995 gave her the opportunity to meet vibrant senior Canadian artists and to hear their stories. She resolved to share her discoveries, to advocate for the arts in healthcare, and to seek others whose experiences are testimony to how creative expression is a path to self actualization. In 2005, Karen presented at the international conference of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, Edmonton, Alberta, and in 2006 at the Canadian Society for Education through Art, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The benefits of her heART Fit classes in spontaneous process painting, initiated in 2008, have been profiled on CBC radio. In 2011 Karen created the online journal Sage-ing with Creative Spirit, Grace and Gratitude www.sageing.ca  to expand awareness of creative aging.