ARTIST BIO
Caroline is a contemporary painter working from her garden studio in the Cambridgeshire Fens where she has lived for over 30 years. She has a BA (Hons) in History of Art & Architecture, and has drawn, painted and explored creative processes all her life, taking courses and workshops to challenge, develop and stretch her creativity.
Caroline's current work is grounded in her love for ancient lines and rock surfaces. She draws inspiration from both her local Fen and North Norfolk landscape and from her travels, especially the rich ecosystems, coastlines and jungles of Costa Rica, and the dramatic geological formations on the eroding coastline of Maio island. She is intrigued by marks of time and change effected by nature and people on an environment, what has been left behind, preserved, lost or changed through the ages. Currently focussing on shorelines, rock surfaces and geological strata, Caroline explores the minutiae of detail on the immense land mass of our precious environment which we inhabit and impact both locally and globally. She invites her audience to engage with the rich, ancient history we walk on.
Originally a figurative artist she is now working with oil and cold wax, combining figurative and abstracted elements together within a painting.
Her work is held in private and corporate collections across the world, is published in
"Portraits for NHS Heroes" and she exhibits regularly in the UK.
WHERE I WORK
I live in the Cambridgeshire Fenlands,
painting in my garden studio.
My daily walks along the river are rich with the changing sounds, colours and temperatures of the seasons, the shrill call of the kingfisher, the whistle of the otters, the gossiping and singing of the swans, fish jumping, trees rustling and talking, raucous crows, delicate songbirds, all feed into my work.
The light constantly changes and delights with big skies, gathering clouds, rainbows, dramatic sunrises and sunsets.
MY ART PROCESS
I paint with oil paints mixed with cold wax medium to create a lovely buttery consistency. Using squeegees, palette knives and brayers I apply and build up layers of paint and history. I write in these layers, make marks, sometimes add pigment or ash, or other small, sometimes precious, elements. I create and embed textures, find, tease out and incise lines, reveal what lies underneath.
The process of working with cold wax medium mirrors the geological formation of the strata, layers, ancient marks and lines. The coastal rock and geological strata that have formed have been subject to the eternal rhythm of the tide, the relentless forces of the elements and the internal forces and movements of the planet. My perspective is shaped by observing the shared vulnerabilities, interdependencies and threats that link the coastlines that have captivated me. Their vulnerability, fragility and resilience I also recognise in my own ageing process.
The movement of the paint and media on the panels mirrors the evolving landscapes and history of both environment and human experiences.
I am concerned about the environmental impact of my practice and am currently experimenting with making solvent free wax medium.
Photo credit: Fabian Granados
SKETCHBOOKS & TRAVEL
I have been fortunate to travel to some wonderful countries and landscapes.
Wherever I travel I take my sketchbook so I have drawings which I refer to back in the studio.
I take my impressions and experiences from my wanderings, whether it is the minute pattern and position of a twig in the grass, the magnificence of a sunrise or sunset, or further afield the rugged beauty of a salt lake or imposing volcano.
Sketching seems to ground the full sensory experience of a place in the memory, and as such forms an important part of my work where visual and sensory impressions and references combine with emotional responses and are incorporated into my work.
I love organic structures, patterns and shapes in nature, surface texture, weathering, marks of age in rock formations and historic marks in buildings.
I seek to express what it is that has touched me about a place or person.