Artist

Carole C. Wilen

DREAMS DO COME TRUE...at least for this Biloxi, Mississippi native.  Carole Cowan Wilen visited her first large art festival in the early 1960's in Winter Park, Florida.  She knew that her dream was to someday participate in a show such as that.

Carole became intereted in watercolor the fall of 1990 following a thirteen year hiatus from painting in oils.  She successfully completed a two year study of watercolor at the Dianne Mize Studio of Art in Clarkesville, Georgia.  Ms. Willen has studied extensively in Florida with Donne Bitner, Sue Archer, Steve Rodgers, Clay Kent, Joe Cwikla, Charles Velek, Mary Allice Braukman, June Bowers and in Georgia with Tom Landredth.  In the fall of 1995, after submitting her application for the first time to the Winter Park Art Show, she received the notice that she had been selected to participate in the 1996 show, therefore fulfilling her life's dream.

Her paintings have been selected and honored in numerous regional and national competitions in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina.  She has earned such awards as "Best of Show", First, Second and Third Place".  The Maud Wurtz Godin Award for Craftsmanship and Technical Excellence", The 1995 and 1996 Dahlonega, Georgia's Wildflower Festival of the ARts, Commemorative T-Shirt competition, and the 1998's Commemorative Poster Contest.  In 1995 Carole was awarded the Southern Watercolor Society's Merit Award.  Carole's work continued to be honored by her being selected to participate in the "Festival of the Masters" held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in 1998.  Due to medical problems and major surgery, Carole had to take several years off the show circuit in order to recuperate.  In September 2007, Carole received a second place award of a $1,000 gift basket of art supplies from the "Friends" of the Florida Watercolor Society.

What is it about Carole's paintings that makes them winners?  Part of the answer is that they are dramatic in color and composition.  They are painted up close, resulting in a eye-catching unique style of transparent watercolors.  This enabled her to obtain greater freedom in interpreting subject matter and composition in a vivid, bold rendering of floral subjects, landscapes, still lifes and portraits, and helping her to express her love for watercolor in an enhanced manner that fills her paintings with light and color.

Carole has taught watercolor painting at the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center in Sautee, Georgia and at North Georgia College in Dahlonega.  She continues to teach classes and workshops through the Central Brevard Art  Association and the Brevard Watercolor Society.  Currently she is teaching four classes a week at Advent Lutheran Church in Suntree, Florida.  These classes are on-going and open to all levels, beginners or advanced students. 

For more information, call Carole at 312-960-4585 or email her at sauteelady@gmail.com