Interview

Written By Adelé Kotzé

Carol Barnwell

Carol Barnwell is a lifelong artist whose work is held in private collections across Canada, the UK, Southern Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. With over 50 years of painting experience, her meticulous attention to detail and love of nature infuse every piece with warmth and depth. Carol studied art at senior school and the Peter Birch School of Art before completing a veterinary degree at the University of London. She enjoyed a distinguished career as a vet, establishing three veterinary practices on two continents, before she decided to hang up her 'surgical gloves' to focus on her art fulltime. Her love of and deep understanding of the anatomy of animals helps to bring her artworks vividly to life. Carol also loves exploring new artistic styles that push her creativity beyond her comfort zone. As a lifelong learner who thrives on a challenge, Carol believes this has helped to keep her art practice honest and constantly evolving.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I grew up in Africa and have been curious about ‘living things’ for as long as I can remember. I always wanted to understand exactly what made ‘life’ tick. At school, biology was my favourite subject because it gave me my first glimpse into the science behind the fascinating world of plants, animals and birds. By the age of eleven I had already decided that I wanted to be a veterinarian. Throughout senior school, I studied the sciences. However, as a child, art was also one of my great loves, so I got special permission to study art as an extracurricular subject. I was then awarded the schools top art prize and one of my paintings was purchased by the school and hung in their entrance hall. This boosted my confidence as an artist, so I was torn between going on to study art or science. In the end, I spent a summer at the Peter Birch School of Art, and then went on to London University, to study veterinary medicine. Anatomy became my favorite subject, as I learnt about the form and function below the surface of living animals. It was not surprising that this in-depth knowledge was soon reflected in my realist artworks. Throughout my career as a veterinarian, I continued to paint and accept commissions, and eventually the time came, when I wanted to concentrate on my art full time. I now live in Australia.”

What inspires you?

“I absolutely love the miracle that is painting. I love to take a range of colours and blend them on a canvas in a way that brings joy, light, thoughts, and feelings into our lives. I love the way a painting can tell a story or bring back memories. I also love the way the natural world has the ability keep people grounded. How a walk on the beach, or through a forest can be so calming. I love the way close encounters with animals can actually lower our blood pressure. So, it is not surprising that I have always felt inspired to bring my two great loves together, to create art that brings the living world of nature right into our homes. Whether I am painting the smallest kingfisher, or a large bull, I try to capture the special elements that’s really bring them to life. As a veterinarian, attention to detail is second nature to me, so I love to capture the muscles moving under the surface, their fine whiskers, the emotion in their eyes and even the droplets of water shaken from the kingfisher’s feathers.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I don’t fall into the camp of artists who like to paint art that has a political theme or an axe to grind. There is certainly a place for these artists in the world, but I am not one of them. Life is tough enough already without me creating art that makes people feel challenged or uncomfortable. I like to create artwork that is uplifting, and that people can easily connect with. I like to help people bring the natural world in their homes and offices, so that they can experience the real benefits of connecting with nature in a sustained way.”

How would you describe your work?

“My work was described as hyper-realistic, by Dr. Julie Fragar, head of painting, at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University. I am a perfectionist by nature, and my career as a veterinarian taught me to be very observant and to focus on the detail. Animals can’t talk, so in order to understand them, you have to read them in other ways. It is this ability read animals that I like to bring to my work, so that my animals and birds really come to life on the canvas.”

Which artists influence you most?

“• Leonardo Da Vinci Da Vinci was a renowned artist, but he was also a man of science, and a huge inspiration to me. I believe that it was his innate desire to understand life, form and function that imbued his art with such meaning. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that the Mona Lisa is the world’s most famous portrait. It was painted at the cutting edge between art and science.

• Willaim Turner Turner’s works in particular his land and sea scapes also influences my art, because he was a master at capturing the nature of light. He could use light to great effect to create shape and form on a two-dimensional surface, but he also used light to create atmosphere in his paintings.

• Gustav Klimt I have also been influenced by Klimt’s work. Though more abstract in nature he was a master at reducing his subjects to the bare bones of their shape and form. (Something I like to challenge myself to do from time to time.) Klimt was also influenced by science, many of the finer details in the patterns on his paintings reflect his view of ‘Life’ as seen down a microscope for the first time, white blood cells etc.

• David Sheperd Growing up in Africa, I loved Sheperd’s work. Not only was he a master at capturing the spirit of an animal, but he also contributed so much to the protection and conservation of wildlife.”

“I absolutely love the miracle that is painting. I love to take a range of colours and blend them on a canvas in a way that brings joy, light, thoughts, and feelings into our lives.”

What is your creative process like?

“Sometimes, it feels like a painting chooses me, rather than the other way around. I will think about my next painting for days in advance, my mind finally settling on a particular subject and composition. Then, I will gather a whole lot of reference material. I never work from a single photo, because I think it is possible in art, to take viewers past what the best lens can capture in a single shot. I paint in acrylic on cotton canvas, and my paintings will usually comprise multiple layers slowly building up the contours, the light, the shadow, and the detail. However, I usually start with the eyes, because that is where the soul of an animal resides, and as soon as I have a liquid pair of eyes staring back at me from the canvas, I feel connected to the animal, and a deep sense of responsibility to bring the rest of it to life in the best way possible.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“In the age of artificial intelligence, I think the role of artists has become even more important. In a way we have become true guardians of human intelligence. Artificial intelligence is simply the ability to mine vast depths of information that has already been created and come up with a solution to a problem. But there is nothing new in what ‘already exists’, so an artist’s ability to see things from a different perspective, to create something unique and original, something never seen before, will become more meaningful to us all, as society begins to rely heavily on AI and its repetitive nature. On a more personal level, I feel that there is so much poverty, hunger, fear, and violence in the world, I am drawn to creating gentle, uplifting paintings, that offer, even if just for a moment, a counterbalance to all the chaos.”

Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?

“I have held numerous joint and one solo exhibition. I have also been a finalist in curated art shows, such as The Doyles and The Lethbridge Gallery S20,000 art prize. In 2023 I won a $1000 non-acquisitive prize at the Aspects Art Show, as judged by Dr. Julie Fragar, head of painting, at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University. I am represented by two galleries in Queensland and New South Wales. My art is also available to purchase directly from my website.”

 
Adelé Kotzé
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