Caroline

May

DOB 08/26/1947 Salem, Massachusetts BA Regis College, Weston, MA, French Major, Art Minor Further art studies; Art Students'League, New York, NY. Various Plein Air Workshops over several years.

I don't remember a time in my life when I haven't made art, or wanted to make art if I didn't have the time. My mother was an artist, and of her four children, I was the one who "got the gene." She recognized it early on and made sure that I had art supplies and after school art lessons. In college I majored in French and minored in art. My husband and I met when we were sophomores, and we got married a week after graduation. Since this was during the Vietnam War era, he had to serve in the military. His basic training was at Fort Leonard Wood in Virginia. I found a teaching ob in a local public school and on the first day, discovered that my students spoke French with a Southern accent! I became friends with the art teacher, but between my lesson planning and long daily commute I didn't have any, if at all, time to "make art." Then our children started arriving, and my days were fully occupied with motherhood and housekeeping. I went back to part time French and Latin teaching when the youngest was in primary school. The best I could do art-wise was to make sure there were art supplies in the house for my children. Our youngest daughter showed interest in art early on, and I made sure she had art supplies. I'll never forget one day finding my two daughters in the small room I called "the studio," where they were both deeply immersed into my water colors and had made a pile of paintings, and their clothes were spattered as well. When I expressed my surprise, not too happily I have to say, the youngest protested with, "But, Mom! We're CREATIVE!" What could I do but laugh? The youngest, now in her forties, continues to do some artwork.The middle daughter turned her creative side to writing and editing. As for me...I've only done a little bit of sketching of late, but have also started "messing around" with gouache.

Colored Pencil, Drawing, Graphite, Oil / Alkyd, Watercolor/Gouache

https://carolinemaypaintings.com