Artwork by Caroline Clark

Caroline Clark

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I am a bartender by trade, but art is my passion. I started painting as a freshman in high school. I chose art as one of my electives. At the time I was not particularly interested in art, but I had an art teacher at a very special school. I went to The Arlington School, a school where students are seen as individuals and each student’s specific talents are encouraged.

Twice a week I had the opportunity to create art for two and a half hours.  At first it was just relaxing. my teacher gave us a different project each week. we were given our medium, and some instruction, and then we were allowed to listen to music and create. One week she gave us paints and canvasses. I don’t remember what I painted, but I remember she liked it.

After that project the other students moved on to other projects, but my teacher continued to encourage my painting. Week after week she would bring in something for me to paint. In her class I painted windows, lamp shades, plexiglass, photo matting material, and many many canvases.

When I went to University I continued to paint. I did not choose to pursue my passion academically due to pressure to pursue more conventional career paths. I took classes when I could, though. I took an amazing art history class, and had the opportunity to attend some lectures by art professors at my university.

I became very enamored of Ken Currie, a Scottish artist, whose paintings are painfully real but incredibly haunting. Performance art also really influences my painting. I adore Olivier de Sagazan. Everything he does is incredible, and his performance art resonates deeply with what I am trying to put on the canvas. I also love Zdzislaw Beksinski, his art is amazing to me in many ways. I love science fiction, and fantasy, and the underlying despair that you can see in his art is something that I try to imbue my figures with.

I am a bartender by trade, and I love my job. I get to meet all types of people. If i could have everything I would still bartend but mainly make art. Bartending inspires me. I have learned a lot about people. I have also learned to be careful with my money, I will spend it on good paint, but when it comes to canvas i will search thrift stores for discarded paintings and give them new life. I will also buy poster-board to paint on so I can practice.

In addition I have a few other hobbies, I love to skateboard, but I am terrible. I can get where I want to go, but cannot really do tricks. I love to read, watch anime, and play video games.  The Tales series, Pokemon, and The Dragon Age series are my favorites. I grew up riding horses, and I love animals. I would have all the rescues if I could.

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  This piece is part of the Angela Carlton Collection.  I love the piece and she was kind enough to send a photo for me to use for this piece.