FEBRUARY 2017 PARKER COUNTY TODAY what just came out of the kiln ” kind of thing . Word of mouth provides another path to her art . She also does some shows , such as the Futurity in Fort Worth , and has had her work in high-end gift shops . She has a website but is currently working to learn more about the Web and the marketing opportunities it presents . While the online world does not lie within her “ comfort zone ,” operating as a “ one man show ” has provided ample opportunity for her to flex those leftbrain “ muscles .”
Her first brushes with art took place on the South Plains of the Texas Panhandle where she was born . Early on she developed an affinity with nature and was arrested by beauty . She said she doesn ’ t remember a time without art . She does remember as a child visiting her brother , who suffered from cerebral palsy . Hospitals and waiting rooms , generally anathema to children , became her impromptu studios where she drew and sketched , passing the interminable hours exploring the mystery of hand-eye coordination and the creative process .
After some reticence , Carlisle described the style she has developed as “ loose .”
“ I can tell you what it ’ s not ,” she first said with a laugh . “ What it is , is it looks like one thing from a distance , but the closer you get to it the more you find . From a distance it looks good and might attract your eye , but when you get closer you like it more and more . It ’ s a loose style , but parts of it are tightened up and you can see what it is . It ’ s kind of like vignettes ; it ’ s not complete . But when you focus in you see , ‘ Oh ! There are quail there ’ in the grass .”
Her western or horse-themed images are also loose . “ I know some local artists who are very good , and their horse paintings are like a photograph ,” she said . “ I ’ m not that . I ’ m more loose . Mine looks like a painting , not a photograph .” Asked if this “ looseness ” brought her work close to impressionism , she said , “ It borders on the impressionistic and the realistic .”
As mentioned above , nature is her muse , the realm from which she draws her subject matter . In her
Connie with some of her glazed work
artistic menagerie are quail , horses , songbirds , squirrels , blue rabbits . And of course there are flowers and fruits and grasses .
Asked what purpose art serves in society at large she simply said it is good for the soul , and quite subjective . “ Surround yourself with colors you like and things you love ,” she said . She added that art brings her joy and peace and helps balance her life . “ It has made me a softer person ,” she concluded .
Hay Bales on canvas
As one who has made a go of making art for a living , Carlisle highly recommends exercising both hemispheres of the brain .
“ If you ’ re going to have a career in art , that means you ’ re going to need to make money ,” she said . “ You need to take some business classes . I have been in some college art classes , and I have seen where some professors inspire students , [ but ] some slam students ’ work . I think universities have a lot to offer .
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