Carol's Artist Statement
I was a professional Calligrapher for many years combining calligraphy with watercolors. I'm a self-taught artist and calligrapher and even taught the fine art of calligraphy back in the 1980's. The past ten years I have evaluated my style and technique and went back to painting in acrylics on canvas. Since I loved painting flowers I started doing them bigger, bolder and brighter in color. Although a floral painting can be beautiful, so can the close-up of one single flower. Sometimes it’s the magnification of the flower, as though I were a butterfly sitting on a petal looking at the stamen like in a Georgia O’ Keefe painting.
I moved to Arizona in 2003 and have been doing large (3 ft. ) acrylic paintings. I'm using bright, cheerful colors in acrylic on canvas. I developed thick edges in paint on the flower's petals to create what I call my 3-D edges. This is totally unique to me. The public loves them, so, I plan on doing more them. I like to see some texture in my paintings, but with a more controlled application. My southwestern images are bold and bright and show a hint of humor in all of them. Sometimes it's just the Title that gives that "hint" of humor for that particular painting. I call them 'whimsical' in nature.
As much as I enjoy creating my artwork I think I enjoy more, watching for that emotional reaction, everything from a laugh or tears or that look of surprise from those who see my work! Then I know I connected, I made it personal. My ultimate goal in life is to know others get as much joy from owning my artwork as I do from creating it.
ARTIST BIO
Honors and Credits
2011 - 11 First Place for "Easter Lily Cactus Flower" in "All Things In Nature" with the Leading Artists Gallery, Washington, DC & two other paintings with Honorable Mention
2010 - 11 Acceptance in the ArtWanted 2011 Calendar. "Desert Oasis"
2010 - 09 Awarded Sixth Place in the "Express Yourself" art show with the Dott Art Gallery in Virginia
2010 Member NAPW -National Association of Professional Women
2010-06 Featured Artist with UtopicStudios.com
2010 – 06 “Prickly Pear Cactus-Eye Candy” Second Place Winner in Grand Opening Art Exhibition at Dott Art Gallery & “Home Sweet Cactus” was Top Ten Finalist
2110 "Red Colors, Ribbons, and Love" Juried Exhibit – Art of Distinction Award
2010 Designed Tags for Tagged.com
2010 The Lanai Gallery Collection with PatioPizzaz.com Naples, Florida
2009 -10 Art of Distinction Award - “Holiday Colors Show” SunDust Gallery, Mesa, AZ
2009 - 07 Commissions for the Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale, AZ
2009 “Celebration of Fine Art”, Scottsdale, AZ. A ten week show.
2009 Appearance on Sonoran Living Live TV Show
2008 “Sip, Shop & Socialize” Raven Events at South Beach
2008 Lilly Oncology on Canvas – show to tour US for a year.
2006 – 07 Member of Sonoran Art League
2006 – 08 Member of SFAW (Santa Fe Art World)
2005 Participant in “Best of Scottsdale”, AZ
2005 -2006 Artist in residence with the Simic Galleries of Scottsdale, AZ, Art Consultant
2003 Winner, the Graceful Envelope Contest, Smithsonian Postal Library
2003 16 works published in “Kaligrafi” in Turkey
1999 - 01 Built my own website and one other
1997 Finalist in the “Campbell’s Art of Soup Contest”
1989 - 97 Corporate and Private Commissions
1988 Cleveland Magazine, One of 88 “Most Interesting People” Award
1987 Western Reserve Calligrapher’s Show, at BP Building in Cleveland, Ohio- Juried, Honorable Mention
1985 Greater Cleveland’s Enterprising Woman Magazine, Pacesetter Award
1985 Graphics ’85, Cleveland Convention Center, designed Logo
1985 Society of Scribes & Illuminators, Lay Member traveling exhibit for five months throughout England
1985 Hopper Papers, Award of Excellence, Letterhead Design
1984 O’Neils of Akron, Dept. Store, Valentine’s Day Demonstration
1984 - 95 Opened Art Galleries/Frame Shop
1983 - 89 WVIZ Auction, Public TV, fund raiser, donated artwork
1983 - 84 Beginners Calligraphy, Winter and Spring, taught at Wayne General and Technical College a division of Akron University
1981 - 86 Wonderful World of Ohio Mart, at Stan Hywet in Akron, Ohio, Official Scribe, designed grounds map and promo flyer
1983 Tri-County Arts & Crafts Show, Chapel Hill Mall, Akron, Ohio, Juried Second Place, mixed media
1983 Scripts & Scribes of Akron, one of the original founders
1983 Wadsworth Traveling Library – Purchase Award - No More Kitty, Kitty, Kitty
1978 - 79 Art League of Bedford, Exhibit Chairwoman
Corporate Commissions and Collections
Forest City Enterprises Carnegie Capital Management WEWS TV 5
WVIZ TV 25 Public TV Northeast Ohio Apartment Assoc.
Building Owners and Mgrs. Assoc. President, BP America, London, Eng. Weiss Advertising
Greater Cleveland Growth Assoc. Downtown Business Council
Playhouse Square Assoc. Penton Publishing Oberlin College
Cleveland State University Oak Tree Restaurant, Dallas, TX
Oro Valley AZ, Mayor’s Office United Church of Christ, Chicago, IL Dix and Eaton
Wadsworth Public Library Delores Knowlton Realtors Sherwin Williams Paint
Cornerstone Log and Frame Aunty M’s Embroidery Designs
Franciscan Renewal Center, AZ
…………………and many more
Private Collections
Lorna Barrett of TV 5 Bill Gordon, formerly of TV 5
Tony Harris, PM Magazine now with CNN Kathy Brugette, PM Magazine
Bill Cosby Tom Wilson, Creator of Ziggy, cartoon strip
…………………and many more
The Elegant Envelope Contest Winner for 2003
I am honored and pleased to be among the winners in The Graceful Envelope Contest for 2003.
This envelope along with the other 27 winners are now on permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian's Postal Museum.
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The artwork contained in these pages are the sole ownership of the artist and may not be used without written permission of the Artist. Copyrighted 1986-2008. All rights reserved. This page was created 12/01/11