Carol King Hood – Artist Statement
Forget-me-not symbolizes the remembrance and the promise to never forget the people we love and care about. This is particularly true of those lost tragically or whose youthful souls were taken too soon.
Personal tragedy strikes us all at different times and different levels. It seems no one escapes these tragedies of life. It can strike with lightning speed or languish with the ebb and flow of and moving river. It none-the-less changes our lives forever. I’m sure by now you can surmise that tragedy has touched me my family and friends and it has indeed changed our lives forever.
And so…"Forget-Me-Not" is intended to assuage the hurt and melancholy with my colorful oil paintings of beach and sky, sunsets, flowers, water lilies and boats. I hope my work brings comfort and joy. They would want it that way..
Thankfully, the gift of artistry was given to me as a young child. Painting has always been my nourishment and lifeline both in good and challenging times. Either painting from life, capturing moments in time, painting an abstract, being inspired by a single color or developing a fantasy story as I work.
My artistic curiosity takes me in different directions. I would tire of painting the same subject over and over. There is no limit to what is artistically possible, so why not explore? I do enjoy most mediums and I have worked in most of them. However, I seem to return to my first love, my favorite since childhood, which is oil paint. Over the years I have developed an impressionistic style, painting wet into wet. Plein air style, painting fast with a loaded brush, using bold mixed colors.
Making decisions quickly, focusing on changing light and colors. Attempting to reflect the fast moving world I see in front of me. Scanning the sky’s for composition, and learning from nature. This is when I am at my best and happiest, lost in the moment doing what I love to do. I hope you enjoy my show.