Carole Chaplin

Spontaneity and expression. Brushwork meets this criteria. I have painted all my life in many different mediums. Painting is a place that is home, another world, a philosophical platform, a fairy circle, an act of passion or awe, a place to rest hurt, a place to be miraculously happy.

And really, this is just the beginning, because painting is also a conduit, a linkage between one person and another. You can give me a glimpse of yourself and I will paint that bit of you that I have seen.

Even as a kid, the life and movement of the impressionists held great interest for me and curiously so did Chinese Art. As a young person growing up in the consciousness/awareness/music scene Bay Area of California, the search for understanding the philosophical aspects of living became a permanent mutation of being. How to be here now-very prominent factor of life. So, how to paint like this, how to paint now. And that has been the premise of my artistic history and career. Resolution came in the form of Asian Style Brush Painting.

For many years I painted on rice paper with the lively bamboo brush. I learned about liveliness and spontaneity and in recent years have brought what I have practiced for so many years to various other papers and now to canvas .Most recently I have been painting in acrylic .

I think sometimes that my work now seems to have it own contrary aspects. People ask me about Yellow Socks..why is she smoking? ..why are her socks bright yellow?….why , why ..indeed. Maybe because you asked ….

and painting a series about mental illness… this is not a popular subject, especially not one to hang for example over the dining room table However, somehow these subjects interest me. All about humanness is so interesting.

And what is interesting makes great art.