Artwork courtesy of Carol Curtis
Local artist Carol Curtis can be described as accomplished. Curtis’ appreciation for art began when she was very young, and only grew over time.
Curtis has a passion for watercolor, and though many of the art pieces in her portfolio are watercolor, she also creates needlepoint art and has been known to enjoy pastels, oils and drawing.
Curtis really displays an appreciation for the temperature and tone of each color as she creates. She has an eye for the combination of light, shapes and texture.
Curtis says that when teaching, she doesn’t teach her students to paint, but to see—then painting comes easy.
“You draw to learn, not learn to draw,” the artist said. “Seeing is amazing . . . whether you’re holding a brush or not.”
In a recent interview with Curtis, she mentioned that her career really took off in fourth grade.
“[With] Mrs. Gwaltny in fourth grade at Hobgood. I decided that I didn’t need any more school; I had a lot of other things to do. She said, ‘If you come to school, you can do the bulletin boards,’” Curtis said.
As a young adult, Curtis studied architecture at Auburn University. Some time after graduating, she landed a job with Hyatt Hotel Corporation where she utilized her experience in management, hospitality and visual arts to open new Hyatt locations around the country. Curtis then launched her own successful catering company and has dedicated her free time to her own textile design business. Curtis also served as president of the Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild two times.
She has also spent some time teaching students to paint using her technique, and has set up some painting workshops in the United States and abroad. Many of her painting workshops involved notable watercolor painters including Charles Reid, who was an American painter, illustrator and teacher, best known for his own work in watercolor painting.
Since the beginning of Curtis’ watercolor career, she has won many awards and has been featured in numerous exhibits and articles. Curtis won a People’s Choice award for her first painted watercolor. She also won awards at Athenaeum Music and Arts Library where she taught a beginner’s class. Curtis’ art has been featured at Nashville Needleworks Needlepoint in Brentwood, Tullahoma Art Center, Murfreesboro Center for the Arts and many other locations around the country.
Curtis’ needlepoint designs were also commissioned for use on the White House Christmas tree in 1997. The Tennessee State House Christmas tree also featured ten of her painted ornaments one year.
Curtis says that she anticipates teaching watercolor classes in Murfreesboro again this summer or fall. For more information about Curtis and her art, visit carolcurtisart.com or carolcurtisneedlepointdesign.com.
