Carol Swann

“Bringing to life the land of Enchantment using materials of the Old Masters”

Carol Swann grew up in Connecticut, and first discovered her love of painting at a young age. She studied art at Southern Connecticut State University, and then traveled throughout Europe where she was deeply impressed by the masterpieces of great artists. She was particularly influenced by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gaugin, and Mary Cassatt. She worked in Germany continuing to travel, for two years. Upon returning to the US, Carol moved to New Mexico and attended the University of New Mexico, where she continued to study art along with her dental hygiene studies. After graduating, she moved to Santa Fe, NM where she lived for twenty years, and raised two wonderful daughters. While in Santa Fe, Carol met Maurice Loriaux, and studied landscape painting in the Impressionist style. More recently she has taken multiple workshops with David Leffel, and Sherrie McGraw, learning chiaroscuro, and about the materials of the Old Masters. She paints on linen and canvas, using the finest oil paints and maroger medium – a buttery like medium that makes the paint glisten, and handle beautifully. The paintings are then varnished with mastic varnish that brings out the jewel tones of the paint, and dries to a diamond hard finish.

She relishes painting Plein Air, and the experience she gets being out in nature with the riots of color. She brings this excitement to the canvas when she expresses the beauty that she sees. She currently has special permission to paint on the Campbell ranch, and is doing a series at San  Pedro  Creek. It’s a very special place, and is constantly changing with the seasons. Another favorite place of hers is Galisteo, NM, where the big cottonwood trees and old adobes make many charming scenes to paint.

Her work has been represented in the Hammons Gallery on Canyon Rd in Santa Fe NM, Turquoise Trail Gallery in Cedar Crest NM, the Southwest Arts Festival (juried), and in an exhibition of the Hancock Gallery, for it’s showing of “Artist’s of the Land of Enchantment” (also juried). Her work is held in numerous private collections. Carol Swann currently lives in Santa Fe New Mexico.