Featured Artist of the Month : Carol McSweeney May. 2008 | TheArtList - Art & Photo Calls for Visual Artists and Photographers.

Carol McSweeney

Kalispell, Montana

My professional training has been in the areas of regular and special education, as well as counseling and school psychology. I grew up out East, then traveled West soon after college – and fell in love with the vistas and the people who live here. I never returned to the East coast. I taught on the Sioux reservation in South Dakota, then taught and practiced as a counselor and school psychologist in Montana. I also am a passionate outdoors-lover, involved with photography, hiking and running trails, swimming, cycling, and snowshoeing.

How and when did you start creating art?

In my capacity as a counselor of children, I found that providing them with art materials and inspiration allowed them to express feelings safely and creatively. Over time, and with interest in developing skills to share with the students, I became increasingly interested in pursuing my own art. For the past several years, I have taken workshops and life drawing classes and have been engaged in painting the people, places and things that move me.

What media and genres do you work in?

I paint primarily in watercolors, but have recently become interested in mixed media and oils as well. I have a particular passion for figurative work, and for portraying people that tend to be “unnoticed” in our society.

Who or what are your influences?

Ted Nuttall’s figurative work has been quite inspirational to me. I am also greatly influenced by the children with whom I have worked, and with those who are living their lives in non-traditional ways. They often make colorful and deeply provocative subjects. Living in the West and participating in the traditions here, such as pow-wows and rodeos, has naturally led me to paint figures and scenes from these activities. I travel extensively, and I think that the exposure to diverse cultures fosters my creativity.

"Teamwork" I attended a National Livestock Show, and was mesmerized by the intensity and passion of the cowboys as they rode and roped. This particular piece was created after watching the team roping events, requiring actual working teams.

Describe your creative process?

I continually think in terms of color and light, forms and subjects. I am also an avid photographer, looking for ideas for paintings wherever I travel. I spend days “mulling over” an idea for a painting, then go to my studio and begin to sketch and paint. I either begin the work with a light glaze of watercolor with a large brush, or, more recently, a “pour” of watercolor paint on a wet sheet of paper. I work from light to dark values, and try to keep all areas of the painting at a similar level of completion. I usually use just one #16 round brush for an entire painting.

What are you working on currently?

I am currently working on a much-bigger-than-life-sized cat! I’ve never done this before. I took care of a friend’s cat last fall, and the cat was a holy terror. Maybe this is a way of doing my own art therapy!

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

My near/long term goals include a commitment to keep taking risks and trying new means of expression. I don’t ever want to get too comfortable with one approach to art.