Meet a young artist beautifully capturing impressions of familiar & beloved scenes throughout Cape Cod, Nantucket, and the South Coast from her sunny home studio overlooking Wareham's peaceful Little Harbor.
*we do not profit from these features
There is nothing we love more here at Tradecraft than supporting talented young creators, craftspeople, artisans, tradespeople, you get the idea. (It's in our name.) Our #TradecraftTalent series gives us the opportunity to shine our little spotlight on these local folks who use their many #talents to make our communities beautiful and keep them functioning. Know someone who would be perfect for a #TradecraftTalent feature? Reach out.
We have known Caryn for over a decade, and we our fortunate to own a number of her original paintings and prints. They really are the perfect reflection of our beautiful coastal community, without the kitsch. If you've been to our house in Cedarville, you've definitely seen her work.
Caryn has agreed NOT ONLY to chat with us a bit about what being a creator means to her, but she has ALSO offered us and our friends 23%OFF ALL of her work for the 2023 holiday season. Use Code: TRADECRAFT23 for 23% off all prints and paintings, framed and unframed, before 12/16 for guaranteed delivery in time for the holiday!
After you're done here, head on over to her online collection and snag the PERFECT last minute holiday gift for your friends, family, and most importantly, yourself. (We really love a sale.) Not only is her art beautiful, minimal, and accessible, even the frames are handmade from hardwood right in her home.
Caryn is an award winning artist and educator based on the South Coast of Massachusetts, currently specializing in acrylics. Having attended Massachusetts College of Art and Design and then Boston University, Caryn holds a Master's Degree in Art Education.
She has worked as an art teacher in public schools on Cape Cod and the island of Nantucket, while practicing her craft, continuing her education, and showing both locally and regionally.
Caryn is inspired by the coastal landscapes of her youth and her work examines the transformative effects on these delicate areas as they weather climate change, development, and sea level rise. She has shown in a number of renowned local galleries and juried shows on Cape Cod. Caryn was awarded the first place prize in the category of oils and acrylics by The Creative Arts Center in Chatham, Massachusetts for their 2018 annual juried exhibition.
An excerpt from our conversation with the artist:
How did you first become interested in art, and what motivated you to pursue it seriously?
"I have always been interested in creating art in some way. Whether it was drawing or painting at home or art classes throughout elementary, middle and high school it just felt right for me. I went to Massachusetts College of Art and Design and knew I wanted to work in the arts, but I also wanted a job when I graduated so I chose art education as my major and graduated with my teaching license and student teaching under my belt, and I went right into teaching art in Newton Public Schools."
Do you find recurring themes or concepts in your work? If so, what do they represent to you?
"Landscapes and the ocean are my main subject matter. Growing up on the cape I didn't appreciate all the access I had to such beautiful environments. Moving away for college made me appreciate it more. I'm painting the views and vistas that shaped my childhood, knowing that they are forever changing by forces of nature and human development. Images of little houses and boats are recurring images in my work as well. I will plop a house in a scene as a way of claiming a little homestead in my heart for that place. Boats are recurring as well, often buffeted by waves or stormy seas."
What challenges have you faced as an artist, and how have they influenced your growth? "The biggest challenge for me as an artist for a long time was finding the time & energy to paint. Teaching takes a lot out of you, some days when I got home all I could do was shower, eat and sleep. Plus I was doing my masters degree online while teaching full time for the first 2 years of my career which took up most of my non work hours. Thankfully summer's off were productive times for me, and I'm currently taking a break from teaching and putting all my energy into my artwork now which I am very grateful for the opportunity to do."
How do you navigate the business side of being an artist, such as marketing and networking? Are there resources or tools that have been particularly helpful in your artistic journey? "I think the biggest challenge for me in terms of marketing myself is that I am very much an introvert, so proactively networking and making connections with others in the art or business world does not come naturally to me. I read Maria Brophy's book Art, Money, Success and I found it very helpful for strategies for connecting with people you would not necessarily interact with otherwise, and demonstrating your value as an artist to potential buyers and business partnerships. I have found a lot of opportunities on Instagram, which is great for getting my art out there and sharing with people around the world."
Where do you see your artistic journey taking you in the next few years?
I would love to continue my current practice, hopefully get back into teaching in some shape or form and eventually have a relationship with a gallery. We are in the planning phases of building an addition on our home which will include space for a home office/studio so I'm excited to be able to turn it up a notch in terms of production and space.
From Caryn:
"My paintings are an effort to capture a moment in time, an impression of places that hold significance and beauty to me. I take artistic liberties with hue and saturation to heighten the surreal beauty these landscapes have held in my imagination since childhood. Growing up in a coastal community, I am intimately attuned to the fragility and transience of our unique and beautiful landscapes. Carved by the opposing forces of nature and human interference, these vistas transform generation to generation, year to year, day to day. By painting a part of the landscape as I experience it, I can capture and hold it, freeze it in time, and in my heart." - Caryn
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