A View to the Souls of Animals: New Exhibit of Paintings at the Matthews-Fuller Library

Hazel: painting by Caryn King

Hazel by Caryn King

The Matthews-Fuller Health Sciences Library is proud to host a new exhibit of paintings by Caryn King:  “A View to the Souls of Animals”

Caryn is a narrative painter who began her artistic career with clay. After 14 years of making her living as a sculptor, intermingled with a few years earning her BFA in Illustration, and stints as a toy designer and art teacher, King came home to painting. “My love and appreciation for animals came full circle when I started painting animals exclusively.”

As you would expect from a former clay artist, texture is very important to King’s paintings. This feature is one of the things that allows her animal paintings to become intensely expressive without becoming sentimental. “I love the process of painting, the textures and effects the paint creates,” says King. “Sometimes the drag of the brush and the layers of paint that show through are my primary goals.” Her paintings also emphasize a tactile appreciation of the animals themselves. She believes the animals she paints reflect a peace that sometimes seems so elusive to humans. “The feathers of a chicken, the wool of a sheep, the snout of a pig, are some examples of the remarkable visual elements that I strive to enhance in order to capture a viewer’s attention and ultimately an emotional response founded in reality, not sentimentality.”

Valentine: painting by Caryn King

Valentine by Caryn King

“A love of nature and a respect for life in all its forms have provided me the basis of my artistic vision. Currently my subject matter focuses on animals. I find my subjects close at hand…with my seven amazing “pet” chickens! One of my main concerns is conveying emotion. When painting animals I paint to convey the individuality and inner spirit of each of my subjects,” she says.

Working in both acrylics and oils, her paintings are created over long periods of time. “I start the individual paintings, move to others, and come back eventually to each. Many paintings begin on a textured surface I create on canvas, paper, or board, a process to give depth and variety to the paint and ultimately to the mood of each painting.” Caryn King is a full-time artist, painting in her hillside studio in South Newfane, Vermont, and sometimes outdoors for some plain air.

“A View to the Souls of Animals” will be on display at the Matthews-Fuller Health Sciences Library at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center until December 7, 2018.  The Matthews-Fuller Library is open to the public: Monday-Friday from 8:00am-6:00pm.

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