Contemporary realism painter Carin Gerard infuses her experiences, travels, and education into each work of art. Utilizing color theory and techniques of the Italian and Spanish masters, Gerard captures a singular moment with astounding skill and grace. Her work blends the classical realism of the Renaissance era with the spirit and spontaneity of contemporary art. It is a distinctive style that combines the wonder of light and interplay of shadow.
Gerard started her formal artistic training at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She then began travels to Europe, where she found inspiration in the great museums of Rome, Venice, Florence, London, Paris, and Amsterdam, through the timeless beauty of the old masters.
Determined to keep expanding her artistic horizons and paint in a style of significant meaning and depth, Gerard moved to the Chianti region of Tuscany, just south of Florence, Italy. For two years, she studied classical realism with Charles H. Cecil, whose art Academy is one of the most highly acclaimed Florentine ateliers. While studying with Cecil and living in a 19th-century Chianti farmhouse, Gerard created a series of eighteen paintings titled: Quattro Stagioni. The series incorporated the four seasons, capturing the breathtaking landscape of the surrounding countryside and the charm of the Tuscan villages. Quattro Stagioni had a successful exhibition at Studio Restauro in Florence, in 1996.
Gerard’s career flourished quickly with her acceptance to the prestigious John Pence Gallery in San Francisco, Calif., in 1997. She has also exhibited at the Eleanor Ettinger Gallery in New York, and three prestigious California-based galleries including the Diane Nelson Gallery, DNFA, and with Jeannie Denholm at SCAPE Gallery | southern ca art projects + exhibitions. In December 2001, Gerard was chosen to represent the United States in the Biennale Internazionale Dell’Arte Contemporanea in Florence, Italy. In 2008, she was selected to represent still life artists in an exhibition titled “Contemporary Still Lifes” at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara.
Her recent series including “Wings of Change,” “Resplendence,” and “Awakening,” showcase Gerard’s prowess utilizing the Munsell Color Theory and the classical Grisaille technique. She paints from the innermost elements of natural objects—including flowers, butterflies, and skyscapes—to the outermost, utilizing sculptural layers to create a balanced composition. She expresses her subject’s ever-shifting objective and physical beauty without the expectation of perfection or exacting realism. Her newest pieces convey a more modern sensibility; they are looser, ethereal and use fantastical colors. Gerard effortlessly evokes a sense of resilience, purpose, and possibility that she feels is necessary at this moment in contemporary culture.
At present, Gerard is exhibiting at SCAPE Gallery in Corona Del Mar, Calif., and will have her “Awakening” solo exhibition in October 2022. She is also exploring the NFT marketplace where she is eager to bring her work, including animated elements, to the digital world. Whether for a solo or group exhibition, or a commissioned piece, Gerard is continually in her studio translating the natural world into pieces that offer a timely yet provocative sense of aliveness. Much of her inspiration is still drawn from European influence; she returns to Florence, Italy, once a year to a restored 14th century palazzo—Palazzo Tornabuoni—previously owned by the Medici family. The palazzo itself is a piece of art history manifested through its magnificent frescoes. Spending time there rouses Gerard’s creativity while nourishing her soul, allowing for the truest expression of her artist self
Callia Mops & Filberts
We were absolutely honoured to see Carin use our Callia mops and filberts! Carin’s blending process achieves such soft and dynamic results. We are always thrilled to see artists use our brushes in unique ways.
Carin’s Beautiful Space
Written By:
Willow Wolfe
Willow Wolfe is widely recognized for challenging and modernizing today’s world of art supplies and education. An award-winning art teacher and the author of a library of internationally available learn to paint books and articles, her approachable style and step-by-step painting methods have taken her to events, seminars and engagements across the globe.
More By This Author
