Caren Pearson

Painting gives me joy and purpose – a way to explore my creative process, observe the visual world and express concepts and feelings. I am interested in the relationship between visual ideas and images, focusing on personal expression and communication of ideas and emotions. Painting provides me with a kind of meditation that is both relaxing and stimulating.

It has been a pleasure to collaborate with my dear friend, Mara Purl. I have been able to visualize and create cover art for several of her books. Illustration has been a new and exciting approach for me to tell her stories from my perspective. I look forward to working together with her again in the future.

I paint images with varied levels of connectivity to realism. I don’t limit myself to a single medium, style or approach. The subject matter of each painting guides the decisions I make. I take inspiration from many sources – the love of travel, the stimulation of music and the beauty of nature.

I want my paintings to have visual impact. In my art-making process, contrast of value and intense color is where I start. I focus on how colors contrast and interact with each other and with the image itself. I explore various mediums: acrylic, watercolor, oil pastel and even digital painting. I trust my intuition. I revisit memories that have personal significance for me. However, the meaning I get from my paintings may well be different from that of the viewer. I want others to interpret my art through their own filters and experiences. Maybe my paintings will bring back memories of their own or lead their minds to a creative place where they can follow their own ideas to new places. Enjoy!

I was born in New York City and grew up in the northeast. I earned a BA in Fine Arts from Bennington College, and an MEd from USF. I have worked in several art fields, from illustration and exhibit design (Smithsonian, Royal Scottish Museum and the Science Museum of Minnesota) to graphic design to art education (22 years in Lee County Schools). I am a Golden Apple and a National Board Certified Teacher, teaching students from age 4-94. I was a founding member of WARM (Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota), the Women’s Network, the Lee County Dance Council, The Bell Tower Artist Co-op and am an active member of the Alliance for the Arts.