We recently connected with Caroline Karp and have shared our conversation below.

Caroline, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

What a wonderful question to ask a romantic expressionist painter like me. I have traveled for as long as I can remember, especially during my boys’ formative years during school breaks.

When they were old enough to start helping me they became the sherpas of my art supplies. While they climbed mountains, swam in clear springs, surfed on the ocean, and snowboarded on snowy slopes, I painted.

What makes my artwork unique to other Plein aire painters, is the size of the canvases I decide to bring onto location. The larger the better for me. I liken it to carving out a piece of the world and transposing it with my expressionist style onto the canvas.

My favorite places to experience are the mountains of North Carolina and Colorado and Kauai. The unique textures and colors of the island’s mountains and surrounding ocean make Kauai so amazing to paint. Being from Florida, I am drawn to vacationing by the water to watch the sunrise and sunset, not to mention the plethora of clear rivers and springs.

Being in nature is what fills my mind with beauty and joy. It’s my mission to share what the world looks like through my eyes I think that people are fascinated to take a peek into that.

When I establish a studio in a new location, I house my equipment (easels, paints, tripod) at the home of a relative or friend. My cousin Ann, for instance, lives in Kauai, and my boys live in D.C., so I have well-established studios in both of these places.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Being a performance artist at heart has led me to travel and paint, establishing studios in DC, Kauai, and my home base of Tampa Bay. My artwork takes on the flavor of the area, reaching collectors that are in tune with the energy of expression being put out. As an observer of the land, the sea, the weather, and the buildings, I embody the essence of each experience into my art.
When in front of an audience—whether I’m painting, hosting a podcast, or a retreat—I create a sacred space. People are invited to share their hearts and souls, be authentic, feel connected, and allow creativity to flow. As a Plein Air painter, I capture places and moments using an expressionistic perspective. I pull away from the “realness,” intuitively focusing on suggestions of objects and how they interact with nature, light, and even sound—noticing how light hits something at different parts of the day.
In some ways, my life has been about four things. Art, spirituality, nature, and the well-being of humankind. For me, making a painting is like falling in love. My work tends to be bold, and a lot of passion and emotion comes along with the process. It is the journey into the uncertainty and an awakening of the heart.
I’m honored that my paintings have been commissioned by people all around the world, including celebrities such as supermodel Kate Upton and MLB player Justin Verlander.
I host a weekly podcast called Behind the Art Inspiration, a conversational-style podcast where I give a sneak peek into the studio practices of all types of international artists.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Many collectors learn about me from watching me paint live and by following me on social media. It thrills me when they ask to join my VIP Circle of Art Lovers. That’s where the real connection begins! My email newsletter goes out monthly and by subscribing collectors get to be part of a growing community of fans and patrons. Here’s what they get:
Special offers
From time to time, they receive special offers that entice them. See amazing works in progress and videos before anyone else does! I have been known to announce pop-up shows and live painting events at the drop of a hat… maybe even in their town.

Special offers to work with me
They will find out about my workshops first! Perhaps they may want to travel with me on retreat.
Sneak Peeks
A look into my “world of expressive living” as an artist, yogini, teacher and mom. I love to travel, and I do the things I’m passionate about and share them with my peeps. And of course, beautiful art.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

I have a few revenue streams that align with my business practice which I am passionate about. I’m a Live Performace Painter and travel the globe to do these performances. I have performed at destination weddings, in the middle of beautiful downtown cities, On riverwalks, and at corporate events at gallery openings and museums.

I also host retreats and workshops where people can travel with me and learn how to live expressively and be creative in their lives. I teach them how to flow.

I’m writing a series of children’s books about how to live expressively and BE, DO and HAVE peace, freedom, love, community, goodwill, joy, health, and FLOW.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carolinekarpartist.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caroline_karp_artist/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinekarpart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-karp-bfa-ma-71879a133/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/karp_caroline
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUhkXhej_HsFSqirpPX_KRg?view_as=subscriber?sub_confirmation=1
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinekarp0 https://www.carolinekarpartist.com/press/ https://www.pinterest.com/carolinekarpart/

Image Credits
Theresa Elliott