Carol Denn
ARTIST STATEMENT
I create realist contemporary oil paintings with painterly mark making on linen canvas. I feature places, people, landscapes, and objects from vintage, timeless, or historic places which adds to the feeling of nostalgia. I paint scenes from places I have lived and my traveled such as America, Europe, Japan and the UK. I paint invented narratives and themes around nature, identity, place, and history.
I feature all the seasons and natural elements in my work such as flowers, leaves, trees, seascapes, and landscapes from nature and birds, insects, butterflies, and wildlife. I sometimes add architectural elements such as gothic windows as a framing device, ruins or architecture to add interest, and a sense of history.
The nature, people, and settings such as houses, street scenes, historic sites, and lighthouses are often scenes from my life and travels in the USA, England, Scotland, and Japan and give a sense of place and history.
I appreciate the style, themes, and brushwork of many artists first hand in museums, galleries and heritage sites, such as Alex Katz, Edward Hopper, David Hockney, Henri Matisse, and Monet to name a few.
The sandy-coloured raw linen and any collage elements are fully protected with a clear primer which allows it to remain visible and a feature in some of my work. I am interested in fabric and materials so with the negative space, I show the thick linen canvas with all the texture as a feature.
EDUCATION
2015 Shillington College Graphic Design, London
2007- 2008 MA in Fine Art from Bath Spa University, England resulting in sell out show followed by sales, commissions & exhibitions
2003-5 Three years of figure/life drawing study at the Lycee Henri IV Paris, ADAC studio, working in oil, pastels and charcoal
2003-4 Attended weekly Art History Conferences at L’Ecole du Louvre Paris
2003 Semester of oil painting at the Ecole de Beaux Arts Paris
2000 BA in Art History minor in Communications
University of Georgia, USA
1998 Study Abroad in Paris through Wells College, Life Drawing and photography at Parsons College, Paris
EXHIBITIONS
2024
Our Time on Earth, Salem Arts Association, Salem, MA, USA, April – May 2024
Minimalism, Salem Arts Association, Salem, MA, USA, April – May 2024
Acceptance Alienation, Salem Arts Association, Salem, MA, USA, May – June 2024
Journey Into Self, Salem Arts Association, June – July 2024
The Written Word, Salem Arts Association, June – July 2024
Heroes and Legends, Aug. – Sept. 2024
Impressions, Exhibition, Salem Arts Association, Aug. – Sept. 2024
Artoberfest, Exhibition, Salem Arts Association, Sept. – Nov. 2024
Holiday Showcase, Exhibition, Salem Arts Association, Nov. - Dec. 2024
2023 Art Works, 10 Southside St, Plymouth PL1 2LA, UK, May 2023
2021 Master’s Circle, Exhibition, Salem Arts Association, Salem, MA, USA, May 1 - June 25th 2021
Primavera, Exhibition, Salem Arts Association, Salem, MA, USA, May 1 - June 25th 2021
Imagination, Exhibition, Salem Arts Association, Salem, MA, USA, May 1 - June 25th 2021
2020 Holiday Showcase and Heart of History 7 Gables Exhibitions, Salem Arts Association, Salem, MA, USA Nov 9 – Dec. 20th 2020
2018 Right Angle Picture Framing, Corsham, UK September 24 – Oct 7th
2014 Alice 3.0 Exhibition, Museum of Oxford, Oxford, UK June 7 – Sept 6th,
RUH Hospital in Bath Art Exhibition, Bath, UK July 25 – Oct 16th,
Black Swan Arts, Divas Gallery, Frome, UK Jan. – Feb 8th, 2014,
2013 Fringe Arts Festival Bath, England Bloodlines exhibition
Black Swan Arts, Divas Gallery, Frome, UK Dec. 2013
2012 Black Swan Arts, Frome, UK August 2012
Fringe Arts Festival Bath, UK
Open Competition chosen by Art in England magazine
Open Studios Art Trail, Frome Festival, Frome, UK
2011 Cameron Contemporary Art, Affordable Art Fair Bristol, UK
Open Studios Art Trail, Frome Festival, Frome, UK
Rook Lane Retro, Rook Lane Arts, Frome, UK
2010 Retro Rook Lane Art Fair, Frome, UK
Rook Lane Arts, Frome, UK
Autumn Art Exhibition RUH hospital in Bath, UK
Consuming Nature, The Octagon, Milsom Place, Bath, UK
2009 6@TheOctagon, Fringe Arts Festival Bath, UK
2008 Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Bath Spa University, resulting in a sell-out show
MA Interim Show, School Gallery, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK
2007 L’Horizon, Monaco
Private Commissions
2008-2009 collage painting consisting of 9 smaller canvases hinged together Private Collection, 5 portrait commissions two of which were double portraits Private Collection
Join Axis
We support artists
Funding, visibility, connection and practical help.
Membership includes £15 million of Public Liability Insurance!