Art has been my lifelong joy and refuge. I was raised amid the natural beauty of the New Hampshire mountains and seacoast, and nature remains the primary inspiration of my work. I have studied with nationally acclaimed artists, including Jack Beal, Sigmund Abeles, Sondra Freckelton, Martha Mayer Erlebacher, and James Aponovich. For many years watercolor was my primary medium, but in the last five years I've found great excitement in the vibrant immediacy of acrylic paints. I enjoy adapting techniques traditionally used with watercolor to bring subtlety and depth to my work in acrylics.

As a teenager I was an exchange student in Kyoto, Japan, which deeply influenced my concepts of beauty, balance, and form. My work focuses on both the tranquil and dynamic aspects of water, with recurring motifs of koi, flowers, and water gardens. I have two koi in a pond in my home, and have used them as models many times. I merge realism with slightly fantastical elements, and my intention is to create a place of refuge for my viewers. I am also fascinated with the play of light on water.

Recent work

My latest series of paintings features images of koi and scenes from water gardens. For inspiration, I draw on my time spent in Japan and on the two koi I keep at home in my studio. They are very companionable and spend most of their time in close proximity, often nuzzling one another. Their grace and interplay of motion reminds me of dance. It*s important to me to find the moments of peace and beauty in such a busy and troubled world, and my paintings are meant to create a space of refuge for the viewer.

Copyright © 2006 Carole Renselaer Moore. All rights reserved.