Carolyn Cole

Artist Biography

Painting is a revelatory process that explores the artist's intuitive relationship to his or her artwork. My art, prints and posters hover between consciousness and intuition, combining emotional content, observation, technical skill, exploration, humor, and reinvention. I try to create passionate surfaces that are visually intriguing and mysterious, with expressive colors and shapes.

All of my art, prints and posters have many layers of paint and collaged papers. I begin each one on canvas or paper, painting on collaged papers over and over, continuing until a rich texture emerges. I use acrylic paints, pencil, and charcoal. I also work with copies of old handwritten letters, pages from old books, used envelopes, and found objects, all as collage elements under the painted surfaces. I paint over the images, obstructing much of the text and communication. Scraping the surface with a palette knife to reveal the layers underneath, I then paint into exposed areas. By building up layers of paint and collage, the paintings become infused with a cultural history, at the same time allowing the viewer to create a personal history.

My art, prints and posters reveal the introspective part of my personality. Each one is inspired by its collaged elements and the layers from my past and present. I hope that they reflect my intense desire to paint and my intense need to create work that expresses that desire.

Carolyn Cole Art, Prints and Posters Collection