We were lucky to catch up with Carolyn Hancock recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carolyn , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I had earned awards in portrait painting and created a body of portrait/figurative work for several solo exhibitions. When Covid precautions closed galleries and live model sessions and photoshoots, I turned to my life-long love of water. But how to paint water that looked like you could walk right into it? That became my goal and most meaningful project, painting an ocean wave in stop action. It was like starting over again on my art journey. The ocean is dynamic, in constant motion, so it required studying and practicing, hours at the easel. I’ve learned to “look through” waves, to paint elements of a wave that we normally cannot see but that add so much beauty — and emotion — to a work of art.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I made the decision to study art, I had two goals: learn to draw and learn to paint the face with soft pastels. Starting out in my 50’s, how could I do that if I attempted different mediums and subjects? So my tenacious trait kicked in, sometimes annoyingly. I learned how to go beyond a likeness, into the emotions that swiftly come and go in the face. Connecting with that fleeting moment of reality is what sets my work apart from many portrait artists.

As seascapes made their way into my studio, I’ve applied that same thought process: painting the mood of the ocean’s energy, along with its incredible beauty.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Build a facility to support the arts at a community level. There’s a hidden gem in south Texas that has a performing arts theater, art gallery, artists studio, natural science museum and planetarium. The Center for the Arts & Sciences in the small town of Clute is lively with cultural activities available to a wide region of art lovers.

Artists struggle to find gallery representation, especially when their local art market leans toward a different genre, for example my work is expressive realism, but the Houston market favors all abstract work in its many forms. Art organizations struggle to find well-attended venues for their exhibitions, shows which pull in some of the highest quality artwork.

A facility in the Greater Houston area, with a mission like the Center, would contribute the highest level of support for the art community that we could even imagine.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

When I see someone stand in front of my painting, really look at it, and I see a smile and little nod of the head — that’s my reward. I’ve given them a moment of beauty, a nudge to a forgotten memory, or maybe just the joy of seeing something from a new point of view.

But it’s a two-way street: painting itself allows me full absorption into the process and a sense of wonder when the work is completed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://carolynhancock.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolynhancockportraits/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.b.hancock/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CarolynHancockArtist