Each section above shows a portion of a plant-filled silhouette scrim Karen drew for the museum, representing characteristic plants from each age. But the one-color creation of these images was just the start. After the plants were drawn, Karen created vector-based "digital keylines" around the edges of each plant leaf and grass blade, so that computer-controlled band saws and routers could be used to cut the scrims automatically.

For museum projects and other large jobs, Karen's work is often just a part of the total presentation; to accommodate the designers and production firms with which she works, Karen has adopted a number of time- and labor-saving techniques that help shorten the process from illustrator to finished illustration.