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Ever since she can remember, Carrolleannea has always had a love of nature and wild places. Brought up in Canada and surrounded by the majestic rocky mountains, she developed a love and passion for all things wild. "I always remember drawing as a girl, I see things very well... proportion and perspective I see easily", she says "perhaps I have a gift".
At first she drew cartoon characters and then onto animals. Any animals... big or small they all held a special place in her heart. "I remember the countryside of my childhood" she says "it was beautiful the mountains the rivers and the smell of the grass after the rain it was all so special."
At first she drew cartoon characters and then onto animals. Any animals... big or small they all held a special place in her heart. "I remember the countryside of my childhood" she says "it was beautiful the mountains the rivers and the smell of the grass after the rain it was all so special."
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Carrolleannea attributes her love of nature to her father an amateur photographer."He would takes us out somewhere" she says, "I always remember him with a camera taking color slides, and would love the evenings when he would show us the slides of these wonderful places and animals and we would have to remember the names of all the different places and the animals, it was great fun".
Educated in England, receiving diploma in graphic design, Carrolleannea formed a love for the history of art and the old masters, their use of color and form fascinated her. Following art school like so many of her fellow students she went into the world of commercial art as a graphic designer. Much of her commercial work at this time was as a nature illustrator for English Wildlife Trusts, not surprisingly she spent all her spare time drawing the world around her especially the animals.
It was some years before Carrolleannea would set foot on African soil and when she did she knew that this was where she belonged. The wide open spaces and unimaginable wildlife left an impression upon her that would remain forever.
Educated in England, receiving diploma in graphic design, Carrolleannea formed a love for the history of art and the old masters, their use of color and form fascinated her. Following art school like so many of her fellow students she went into the world of commercial art as a graphic designer. Much of her commercial work at this time was as a nature illustrator for English Wildlife Trusts, not surprisingly she spent all her spare time drawing the world around her especially the animals.
It was some years before Carrolleannea would set foot on African soil and when she did she knew that this was where she belonged. The wide open spaces and unimaginable wildlife left an impression upon her that would remain forever.
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In 1995 Carrolleannea had her first solo exhibition in Nairobi Kenya. Exhibiting her African wildlife pencil drawings, which were a huge success During this early part of Carrolleanneas career, she developed a brilliant reputation with her mastery of the graphite pencil. Moving from Kenya to Tanzania, gave Carrolleannea an opportunity to discover such African wild places as the Serengeti, Ngorngoro Crater and the Masai Mara which fired her imagination even more.
Safaris into the bush became a regular occurrence and armed with her tent, camera and truck she would head out alone for days capturing the wildlife and the feeling of the African bush. During her time in Tanzania Carrolleannea made her first trip to America to exhibit at the world renown Safari Club International Convention, her success there began a long association with Safari Club International which continues on today.
Leaving Tanzania and returning to Kenya, Carrolleannea set up her studio on the coast, her sanctuary as she calls it. As the interest in wildlife art continued to grow Carrolleannea was to have a conversation with her sister which was to change her direction yet again. Had this conversation not taken place and the time not been right for a change then she might have spent the remainder of her career drawing in pencil. Her sister suggested that the use of colour in her work, would give her more freedom and her art more life.
Safaris into the bush became a regular occurrence and armed with her tent, camera and truck she would head out alone for days capturing the wildlife and the feeling of the African bush. During her time in Tanzania Carrolleannea made her first trip to America to exhibit at the world renown Safari Club International Convention, her success there began a long association with Safari Club International which continues on today.
Leaving Tanzania and returning to Kenya, Carrolleannea set up her studio on the coast, her sanctuary as she calls it. As the interest in wildlife art continued to grow Carrolleannea was to have a conversation with her sister which was to change her direction yet again. Had this conversation not taken place and the time not been right for a change then she might have spent the remainder of her career drawing in pencil. Her sister suggested that the use of colour in her work, would give her more freedom and her art more life.
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Carrolleannea painted her first painting in 1999 and has never looked back. Oil has now allowed Carrolleannea to reach deep into her own feelings and view art from a new window. "At first it was terrifying because a pencil will do what you want it to do but oil has a life of its own and I had never picked up a paint brush to paint in oils or blend colors before."
Carrolleanneas early pencil works were collected by American and European collectors with hunting traditions and with her transition from pencil into oil her paintings began to sell. Since 1999 she has exhibited her paintings with prestigious galleries all over the world and a large collection of her works can be found in the L Oliphant Gallery in Paris. The Mzuri Wildlife Foundation in San Francisco also regularly auctions her work for conservation events. Alongside artists such as Bateman, Kim Brooks Donaldson and David Shepard Sotheby`s Auction House in London exhibited her work in the "Care For The Wild" International Auction Her work appeared online in the Sotheby`s Wildlife Auction
Carrolleanneas early pencil works were collected by American and European collectors with hunting traditions and with her transition from pencil into oil her paintings began to sell. Since 1999 she has exhibited her paintings with prestigious galleries all over the world and a large collection of her works can be found in the L Oliphant Gallery in Paris. The Mzuri Wildlife Foundation in San Francisco also regularly auctions her work for conservation events. Alongside artists such as Bateman, Kim Brooks Donaldson and David Shepard Sotheby`s Auction House in London exhibited her work in the "Care For The Wild" International Auction Her work appeared online in the Sotheby`s Wildlife Auction
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To date Carrolleannea is working on pieces for her new collection which is being reproduced in beautiful Giclee prints, something which she is very excited about. Exhibitions of these will be exhibited in Kenya and the UK in the summer months
In addition to imagination, inspiration is the key to Carrolleanneas work. Her inspirations are driven from the world around her, the African light, the dust of the plains and the smell of the wild are all things which she brings into her paintings and captures forever. She feels very fortunate to be able to express her imagination and share it with others "When I imagine a place with passion, the impossible becomes possible".
Carrolleannea is modest about her talent "I don`t sell art" she says "I sell my work and I let others decide if its art or not. I love beauty and I love to create beauty" she says "and I know that all beauty is in nature and nature is to be shared. I hope to share my work with others."
Carrolleannea lives in Mombasa Kenya with her two daughters, Kimberley and Jessie. On the shores of the Indian Ocean she is surrounded by the beauty she so loves.
In addition to imagination, inspiration is the key to Carrolleanneas work. Her inspirations are driven from the world around her, the African light, the dust of the plains and the smell of the wild are all things which she brings into her paintings and captures forever. She feels very fortunate to be able to express her imagination and share it with others "When I imagine a place with passion, the impossible becomes possible".
Carrolleannea is modest about her talent "I don`t sell art" she says "I sell my work and I let others decide if its art or not. I love beauty and I love to create beauty" she says "and I know that all beauty is in nature and nature is to be shared. I hope to share my work with others."
Carrolleannea lives in Mombasa Kenya with her two daughters, Kimberley and Jessie. On the shores of the Indian Ocean she is surrounded by the beauty she so loves.