Exhibiting at The Smile Within, showing on the joint stand (H94) of the BDA Benevolent Fund and Bridge2aid at The British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show (NEC Birmingham) on 15th & 16th May during Mental Health Awareness Week.

Karen Paterson is a retired dentist, photographer, and community leader whose creative practice is deeply interwoven with faith, service, and wellbeing.

Over a varied career spanning specialist oral surgery, general practice, dental education, and international mission work, Karen has always balanced the demands of dentistry with a strong creative and spiritual life.

Now retired from clinical practice, she serves as Past President of the Christian Dental Fellowship (CDF) and remains actively involved in church and community life.

Photography, which was once an escape from the pressures of practice, has become a joyful way to share beauty, hope, and perspective with others.

A Lifelong Creative Thread

Karen’s love of creativity began early, through sewing, crafting, and using her hands; the very skills that naturally drew her towards dentistry. Her photographic journey truly began at university, when her parents gifted her an SLR camera for her 21st birthday.

Studying dentistry in Newcastle, Karen spent hours photographing wildlife and landscapes near her halls of residence; ducks in the park, trees, and changing seasons. What appealed most was being creative with the camera and the control the SLR offered: focus, composition, and the ability to shape how a moment was seen.

“I could lose myself completely,” she reflects. “In a field of poppies or bluebells, just noticing.”

That sense of presence and of being fully absorbed has remained at the heart of her practice ever since.

Photography, Faith and Wellbeing

For Karen, photography has always been more than a hobby. It became a refuge during the pressures of dental practice and now, in retirement, a way to sense the closeness of God and support the wellbeing of others.

She is a deeply visual person, often thinking in metaphor and meaning through images. Nature, in particular, is a space of connection for Karen, both restorative and spiritual.

“I see God in creation,” she explains. “He’s speaking to us through what we see and we often walk right past unless we lift our heads.”

Photography becomes a two‑way conversation: observing beauty, responding to it, and sharing it with others in a way that soothes the soul.

Giving Back Through Art

Karen’s creativity has consistently served community needs. Over a decade ago, at the suggestion of a hygienist friend undergoing cancer treatment, she began printing her photographs as greeting cards to raise funds for charities.

It’s a practice she continues today, selling cards at a local wellbeing café and within church networks, quietly raising money while offering encouragement.

She also runs a small weekly art and craft group, creating a relaxed space for connection, creativity, and conversation.

Through photography, Karen has found a way to give and to help others pause, reflect, and breathe.

“It seemed only natural that I get involved with The Smile Within exhibition.” explained Karen. “It’s a great way to start conversations around mental health and wellbeing, and creativity in dentistry.”

Featured Artwork: Streams in the Wasteland
Minimum bid: £60

• Original photographic print
• Mounted on 500 x 400mm mount board
• Image dimension: 380mm x 250mm

Taken in Pembrokeshire, Streams in the Wasteland captures a river glistening in golden evening light as it winds through a green valley scattered with dandelions.

For Karen, the image is inseparable from the words of Isaiah 43:19:

“I am doing a new thing… I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43: 19

The river symbolises renewal and life flowing through difficult or barren seasons, nourishing all that grows close to it.

The image reflects Karen’s belief that hope and wellbeing are always possible, even in unexpected places.

Featured Artwork: The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
Minimum bid: £60

The Skies Proclaim the Work of His Hands

• Original photographic print
• Mounted on 500 x 400mm mount board
• Image dimension: 450mm x 300mm

This photograph shows Karen’s husband walking along Millstone Edge in Derbyshire, near a viewpoint known as Surprise View. The escarpment stretches for miles, offering uninterrupted views westward, making it an ideal place to witness sunset.

With nothing to obscure the light, the scene becomes a moment of stillness and awe. The photograph speaks of presence, perspective, and the quiet reassurance found in beauty shared with loved ones.

A Creative Life After Dentistry

Karen’s creative expression continues to evolve. Alongside photography, she enjoys painting in watercolours and acrylics, often using reclaimed materials, even upcycled fence panels, reflecting resourcefulness, sustainability and care.

Married with three grown‑up sons, and active in church leadership at New Life Baptist Church in Nottingham, Karen’s life today is full, generous, and deeply rooted in faith and service.

Her passions, as she says with a smile, are “Jesus, teeth, family and photography.”

A Final Reflection

Photography has allowed Karen to step outside pressure, reconnect with wonder, and share what uplifts her with others. Whether through a photograph, a greeting card, or a quiet art group, her creativity gently reminds people to pause and to notice.

In The Smile Within, her work offers streams of light, calm, and resilience flowing quietly, but powerfully. Her work serves as a reminder that being in nature and observing creation can connect people to a sense of the divine.

More about Karen

Dr Karen Paterson has two works featured in The Smile Within exhibition and will be attending the event representing the Christian Dental Fellowship. You can see her on stand B91. Exhibiting via the Christian Dental Fellowship stand

Meet the other Artists

Below is a selection of other featured artists. Click on the links to see their artwork submissions, each deeply connected to mindfulness and mental wellbeing.

Join us at The Smile Within art exhibition in May and make a difference, one pledge, one piece of art, one smile at a time.

We look forward to seeing you there.

An online bidding site is now live. You can bid on artwork online, as well as at the event.

Online bidding ends at 3:45 pm on 16 May. The winning bidder can collect their artwork on Saturday, 16 May, from the stand after 4pm. If you (or a trusted friend) are unable to take your piece with you, we’re happy to arrange delivery. Please note that postage and packaging costs will be added and confirmed after purchase.