Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Caroline Dargel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Caroline, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Growing up in Texas, I enjoyed creative projects at a young age – crafting, decorating my room, & sketching designs. My parents enjoyed renovating homes, so I developed a love for art + interior design early. As a competitive tennis player, I grew to love travelling because each new place felt like an adventure waiting to be explored. In highschool, I started taking painting classes and fell in love with creating daily. I considered attending art school but went on to play college tennis and major in Business Finance at Oklahoma Baptist University. I enjoyed my leadership and entrepreneurship classes which equipped me to better understand the business side of being an artist. As a creative outlet, I painted signs & custom wedding designs for friends + family. At the time, I was interested in owning some sort of small business that fostered creativity & community but I did not imagine I would make a career as an artist.

Following graduation, I married my highschool sweetheart, David & we moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where the Lord provided a sweet community for us as master’s students at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. While working in higher education during the day, I came home & painted in the evenings. I surely but slowly started selling my work at local pop-up markets on the weekends – my favorite was at the NC Museum of Art. During our four years in NC, David & I developed a genuine love for travel – a day trip to the coast or a weekend in the mountains were now possible living along the East Coast.

To me, there’s immense inspiration when exploring a new place – the sights, colors, landscapes, and culture excite me! My favorite place to visit is the coast – we frequent the Outerbanks & 30A areas. When I’m along the shoreline, there’s a feeling of immense peace + all-consuming excitement. That feeling when you step onto the sand makes me want to run to the water like a little girl! The pastel palettes, foamy ocean, & colorful beach houses of coastal towns bring me great joy + inspiration.

Following a summer trip to Seaside, Florida with my husband, I launched my first collection of 18 original paintings on canvas titled ‘Sand & Sea’ in-person at a market in the Fall of 2021. I even made my own frames for this collection. I sold out every painting & remember feeling humbled & overjoyed that what resonated with me so deeply, others found beautiful & wanted to put into their homes!! I juggled my day job alongside starting an art business – learning how to build my own website, creating a brand on social media, launching collections online, & then learning how to ship the precious cargo. We continued to frequent the Outerbanks where I was inspired by the sand dunes. After selling out a second large collection of original paintings in 2022, ‘Dune’, I felt overwhelming peace from the Lord & support from my family & community to pursue art full-time. In the Lord’s kindness, I left my career in higher education and stepped into being an artist full-time in June 2022. I consider it a tremendous gift to create for a living & serve alongside my husband in our local church. All from Him and all for Him.

Caroline, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Caroline Dargel is a fine artist, wife, and lover of the coast who creates abstract impressionist acrylic paintings and fine art prints that reflect the beauty found in creation. I also design lifestyle goods and stationary that promote artful living. Drawing inspiration from travel, the scenery of coastal towns, & interior design, I am passionate about bringing peace into your home that reflects the beauty found in creation & points to the glory of God.

I can be found painting & designing in my home studio located just south of Atlanta, Georgia where I live with my highschool sweetheart & adventure bud husband, David. Inspiration can be found everywhere — in landscapes & pastel palettes along the shoreline, in interior design & architecture, in walks along the sand & hikes in the mountains, in preparing a meal & enjoying conversation around the kitchen table, & in every seemingly mundane, lovely moment in between.

When I’m not in the studio, I enjoy going for walks, planning our next adventure, sipping coffee with a book in-hand, or serving alongside my husband in our local church.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

As a Christian artist, what matters most to me is glorifying the Lord with the gifts he has given me. All for Him and all from Him! I enjoy building relationships with collectors and creating art that brings beauty and peace into their home. It is a great joy to help others cultivate meaningful spaces. How special is that! Art and home feel connected to me. I enjoy house projects, designing the layout of a room, & working in the garden. When I finish a painting, it must always pass the test of being something I would want to hang in my own home! When I paint something that feels true to me, it will resonate with others.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’m forever grateful for a couple of artists who are steps ahead of me in their artist career that have been willing to share their experience and resources along the way. I want to be the same – willing to share & encourage one another!

As someone who is naturally task oriented, over the past year of working as an artist full-time, I’ve had to remind myself that the quieter ‘behind the scenes’ moments of exploration & discovery are not wasted time. These days fuel creativity. Collecting shapes & colors in my sketchbook, discovering new places, & getting outside spark inspiration for my next collection. Intentionally slowing down on a walk or unplugging from distractions on a trip allows me to notice new color combinations and details in creation that God, the most creative, has made.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.carolinedargel.com
• Instagram: @carolinedargel

Image Credits
Samantha Couick Photography