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Caroline Shotton


art of fine portraiture with her signature humour and sense of fun and colour. “I have always been captivated by surrealism and impressionism and I like the fact that much of my work now successfully combines elements from these eras” she says. For the new collection


Caroline has switched from acrylic to oils which has had a dramatic impact on her tech- nique and style. “I really wanted a more traditional look – rich, dusky aged backgrounds and a more refined and detailed finish.” Using layers of glaze and varnish to build up the dense colour she chose each background to complement the natural colouring of the animals. In Dizzy Heights featuring the giraffe duo, the background is a deep blue which makes their necks feel even longer as they reach for the sky. In Ebony and Ivory the dusty brown resonates with themes of Africa and heat, offering an unusual contrast to the monochrome stripes of the handsome pair of zebras. In the wittily titled The Last Straw the rich deep burgundy serves as a stunning backdrop to the camels intriguing faces. “All the animals’ faces fascinate me with their incredible bone structure – especially camels who are just plain bizarre” laughs Caroline. Painting the eyes is usually the


last part of the process. Caroline maintains it is the most impor- tant part in determining the mood of the painting. “Just the finest brushstrokes can change the personality of the portrait immensely” she says, and her aim is to create images where a story can be told with expression – but leaving interpretation open to the viewer’s imagination. “Most simply, my work is just about making people smile.”


Gallery The brand new collection by Caroline Shotton will be available in galleries around the UK in March 2012 washingtongreen.co.uk


2 FINE ART COLLECTOR SPRING 2012


1 “I have always been captivated by surrealism and


impressionism - and I like the fact that much of my work now successfully combines elements from these eras”


1 Ebony & Ivory Canvas edition of 150 Image 24" x 24" Framed £599


2 The Last Straw Canvas edition of 150 Image 24" x 24" Framed £599


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