TITLE: MICHIGAN WINTER
ARTIST: CAROL MADDOX

For many years, my paintings expressed my desire to show viewers the beauty in the world. I felt it was my duty to take them to special restful spots or interesting places, working in a more or less romantic and truthful style. I felt there was merit in realism and wanted to present beautiful landscapes spelled out clearly, and filtered through my own eyes. Now after years of painting in a realist manner, I am feeling that the camera can record scenes better than fine, technical painting and there is often little emotion in extreme realism. I now work less explicitly and hope to draw viewers in to see a subject through their own eyes. In response to a complex subject, I look for design elements of mass and line, darks and lights, warm and cool, and then only include the fewest necessary elements. Shadow patterns and value connections intrigue me. Subdued color, a mysterious turn behind what could be a building, or a dark place in a landscape leaves room for interpretation by the viewer.

Teaching and painting every week, as well as conducting workshops here and abroad at least once a year — I enjoy my job! I paint because I love to and I love trying to get other excited about painting.

Carol's work has been exhibited in the California Watercolor Association shows since 2000, the American Watercolor Society in New York, the National Watercolor Society in Los Angeles, Salon des Artists Independants in Paris and the American Women's Club of Brussels, Belgium among many others. She teaches private art classes in Pleasanton as well as workshops in Europe. She has won numerous awards including the American Watercolor Society Signature Award in 2008, the California Watercolor Association Juror's Award in 2007, the American Watercolor Society Gold Medal of Honor in 2004 and many more. Her work has been featured in a number of magazine articles.