A Portrait of the Artist: Carol Bouville

Currently showing at Kentlands Mansion in the 25th Annual Spring Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association (GFAA) Show, Carol Bouville is a watercolor and collage artist who often combines both mediums to render peaceful dream-like landscapes and colorful figures that blend into their backgrounds.

"I consider myself a colorist," said Bouville who admires the work of the post-Impressionists and the Fauves.

Although she grew up in Virginia, Bouville spent 20 years in France. During her time in Europe she had the opportunity to travel widely across the continent and had access to a vast repository of European art collections. 

Although she spent much of her childhood drawing and painting, Bouville studied English and American Literature in college and did not return to art until moving back to the United States.

"I worked for an employment agency in New York, where my husband and I relocated in 1984 after our time in France. In 1991, I lost my job because of the recession. I had six months before we were scheduled to move to Maryland, so I took up painting. I went to Michael's and bought some watercolors. I also took classes in Westchester County, and had a very encouraging teacher."

After moving to Maryland, Bouville started taking classes at Montgomery College.

Currently she teaches classes of her own.

"I have been teaching watercolor painting to four loyal students for over seven years in my home studio. Our meetings are not just a coffee clutch. I am proud of their progress, and painting together provides an affirmative experience. Painting is a solitary endeavor, and it is sometimes difficult to believe that how I am spending my time has any meaning. But I believe that all art forms contribute to some collective creative energy that is needed in the world. So I am trying to find my own creative voice through painting," said Bouville who also gives collage workshops at PLAZA art store in Rockville twice a year.

"I traveled with my husband when he went on business trips. My artwork is very much influenced by differences in culture. My husband retired in December, and we still plan to travel. In fact, we went on a trip around the world for two and half months. I now have enough reference material to last me the rest of my life - more than likely."

On a trip to Ghana, where her son currently lives, Bouville took numerous snapshots of the local life and color and has painted a series of Asante women figures from her visit.

"If I can get a composition down, I can paint it. I am trying to cultivate a personal style through experimentation with various watermedia and collage, as well as watercolor."

Apart from the GFAA show at Kentlands Mansion, Bouville is also showing her work at Strathmore Mansion as part of the Baltimore Watercolor Society's 2011 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition. According to the artist, fewer than 100 pieces were chosen for this exhibit, which encompasses artwork from across the Mid-Atlantic region. She is also the featured artist at the Barnes and Noble in the Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg. Seven pieces of her artwork are on display there until June 2011.

Active in the local arts community, Bouville is a Signature Member (a member that has been juried into a society) of the Baltimore Watercolor Society, the Potomac Valley Watercolorists and the Washington Watercolorist Society. Her work has been on view all over Montgomery County.

As part of the May 14 Children's Talk and Tour at Strathmore Mansion, Bouville will be guiding attendees through the work of the award-winners in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition. The Children's Talk and Tour is free of charge and will be taking place at 10:15AM on Saturday.

"I love forging connections between children and art. Art has become part of who I am," said Bouville who is looking forward to her future endeavors in the art community.

To find out more about Carol Bouville, click here.

To find out more about Kentlands Mansion, click here.