Carolyn Letvin
Artist Statement:
Why Sheep?
I’ve been painting Jacob sheep for 16 years. When I began, I had no idea that they would engage me as a visual subject for such a long time! As when I started painting them, I still get a charge from the results of the combination of my hand, the medium and the subject. One of the things that has evolved through the making of them is that I’ve pretty much eliminated any identifiable background. I think the flat color background accentuates the negative space of the composition. To me, composition is the most important element in any painting. No matter how well the picture is painted, if the composition is lacking, the piece will not be successful.
Sheep are often one of the first images we see in our lives. Think of all the nursery rhymes and children’s stories that involve or are about sheep. In my case, one of my very first memories is of painted wooden cut-outs of Little Bo Peep and her sheep that my mother had hanging above my crib. I can envision that room and how the “art” was hung to this day. Maybe you, too, have some kind of formative visual in your mind about sheep. Or maybe you connect with them for other reasons. Either way, I hope you will enjoy my sheep images!
Why Plein Air Painting?
Painting outside, plein air, rather than from a photograph, is a huge challenge. I’ve been doing it since the early 90s and am still not comfortable with the experience. There are so many variables, most of all the fast-changing light, that what I create seems to be out of my control. I think that’s why I keep doing it – because when it does turn out, it’s somewhat of an out-of-body experience. Interiors, though not done outdoors, have many of the same challenges. I just don’t have to deal with Mother Nature so much, which I consider a good thing!
Why Sheep?
I’ve been painting Jacob sheep for 16 years. When I began, I had no idea that they would engage me as a visual subject for such a long time! As when I started painting them, I still get a charge from the results of the combination of my hand, the medium and the subject. One of the things that has evolved through the making of them is that I’ve pretty much eliminated any identifiable background. I think the flat color background accentuates the negative space of the composition. To me, composition is the most important element in any painting. No matter how well the picture is painted, if the composition is lacking, the piece will not be successful.
Sheep are often one of the first images we see in our lives. Think of all the nursery rhymes and children’s stories that involve or are about sheep. In my case, one of my very first memories is of painted wooden cut-outs of Little Bo Peep and her sheep that my mother had hanging above my crib. I can envision that room and how the “art” was hung to this day. Maybe you, too, have some kind of formative visual in your mind about sheep. Or maybe you connect with them for other reasons. Either way, I hope you will enjoy my sheep images!
Why Plein Air Painting?
Painting outside, plein air, rather than from a photograph, is a huge challenge. I’ve been doing it since the early 90s and am still not comfortable with the experience. There are so many variables, most of all the fast-changing light, that what I create seems to be out of my control. I think that’s why I keep doing it – because when it does turn out, it’s somewhat of an out-of-body experience. Interiors, though not done outdoors, have many of the same challenges. I just don’t have to deal with Mother Nature so much, which I consider a good thing!
Artist Bio:
Carolyn Letvin is a resident of Marlborough, Massachusetts. She has exhibited in the New England area since 1990. She is an accomplished landscape painter and also creates stylized feline and farm animal imagery. She works on-site, from photographs and memory.
She has won many awards through the years, including the Top Award at the 18th Annual Faber Birren National Color Award Show, an Honorary Mention/Sakura Award from the United Pastelists of America/Oil Pastel Association and a second place in the 2014 Blanche Ames National Juried Exhibition. One of her recent award is from Concord Art’s Members Juried 2 Exhibition where she received the prestigious Nancy T. Baldwin Drawing Award. Currently, her work can be seen at Galatea Fine Art in Boston, MA, Lauren Clark Fine Art in Great Barrington, MA, Hudson Art & Framing in Hudson, MA, and Gallery Wright in Wilmington, VT. She is on the board of the Monotype Guild of New England.
Carolyn Letvin is a resident of Marlborough, Massachusetts. She has exhibited in the New England area since 1990. She is an accomplished landscape painter and also creates stylized feline and farm animal imagery. She works on-site, from photographs and memory.
She has won many awards through the years, including the Top Award at the 18th Annual Faber Birren National Color Award Show, an Honorary Mention/Sakura Award from the United Pastelists of America/Oil Pastel Association and a second place in the 2014 Blanche Ames National Juried Exhibition. One of her recent award is from Concord Art’s Members Juried 2 Exhibition where she received the prestigious Nancy T. Baldwin Drawing Award. Currently, her work can be seen at Galatea Fine Art in Boston, MA, Lauren Clark Fine Art in Great Barrington, MA, Hudson Art & Framing in Hudson, MA, and Gallery Wright in Wilmington, VT. She is on the board of the Monotype Guild of New England.
