Episode 16: Carol Carter
Today I’m talking with watercolorist Carol Carter. In the episode we’ll explore how criticism helped Carter find her unique voice. She explains the biggest challenge she sees students facing in the medium and she discusses how being an artist is more than a single good painting.
In the episode we discuss:
1:04 How Carol Carter found watercolor
2:00 What she learned in graduate school
3:22 What paper she uses for watercolor painting
4:12 What brushes to use for watercolor painting
5:11 The difference between a good and bad brush for watercolor painting
6:07 What paints Carter uses
6:22 What qualities she looks for in her watercolor pigments
7:24 Watercolor pigments: opaque vs transparent for her work
8:32 Biggest challenge she sees watercolor students facing
9:31 How to get better: Exercises or finished paintings
10:44 Risks of trying to finish a perfect painting before moving on
12:12 Process overview
13:13 How shapes come into Carter’s work
15:25 How she connects individual cells
16:19 How she works in an individual cell
20:10 What are blossoms and blooms?
23:36 How to take out an unwanted blossom or bloom
24:40 What does her unique way of working give her as an artist
25:49 How she found confidence to work so differently
28:47 How long it can take to find a process that works for you
29:42 The power of not quitting
30:50 Having a repeatable process
31:36 How she keeps from getting precious in her work
33:28 How she uses her smaller studies
36:18 Good value in a painting
39:27 Finding confidence as an artist
41:41 Learning to trust your own vision
44:15 The difference attitude makes
46:00 Handling criticism
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