June 2000 "Local Artist enjoys the luxury of
a life that pleases her" Some people find the secret to living their lives in the way that pleases them most. Artist Carolyn Utigard Thomas is one of those people. Her varied career in the visual arts, ranging from commercial and theater design to murals and abstract watercolors, has led her at last to a lifestyle balanced by work that she loves and people and places that are important to her. "I'm traveling most of the year, and my car is my portable studio and gallery", she said. "I plan my itinerary around shows in which I want to participate, people I want to see, and the weather. "I pack my paintings up and drive alone to enjoy the scenes along the way and listen to music, and I always have the feeling that I'm in the right place at the right time. I usually combine my shows with visits to friends or family, and during these reunions, rest and pure enjoyment refuel me and provide inspiration for my work." A visit to Utigard's studio/home at 1752 Santa Fe in Corpus Christi is like being bathed in pastel-colored sunshine. Her gallery is at the back of the house, while Camille Campbell's interior design studio occupies the front. Utigard's working studio and the living quarters which she shares with her architect/artist husband, David James Thomas, are upstairs. The amount and variety of work on display in the studio is impressive-primarily watercolors, with a few acrylic paintings, both realistic and abstract. Their daughter, Eryn, helps manage the studio and pitches in on some of the projects. "She's the patient one and does the messy work", Utigard says. "We're collaborating now on some 'patchwork collages' using recycled pieces of old paintings taken apart and reassembled with bits of assorted papers such as old sheet music, candy wrappers and maps, and whatever else we want to use up. "Recycling is important to me, because I swing from needing a super-controlled environment where everything is organized, to letting it all fall apart to the point where I can't work anymore. So these collages are my current way of using things up." Eryn is also helping to produce a quantity of bookmarks for the Christmas season, made of small collages or parts of Utigard's angel painting, which will be carried in the gift shop of the South Texas Art Institute. Her watercolors of ethereal, highly symbolic angels floating on filmy layers of air began with a 'serenity' angel in soft purples and pinks. As other angel themes developed, a series emerged. Because buyers began to ask that the meaning of their angel be included in the painting, some of the angels now come with hand-lettered explanations, or can be found on Utigard's website. Some are even the bearers of poetry, written by a friend of Utigard's in Scottsdale. "Being able to collaborate in my work is a very recent development," explained Utigard, describing how she and another artist friend, Chris Lindsey realized their ability to integrate their styles and together produce paintings which are unique to each of them individually. They call their partnership "See," and describe it as a "Joyful collaboration of soul sisters who bring together the best of both their talents to create works of whimsy and wisdom." They invite the viewer to see and resonate to the potential for love, joy and creativity. Though the subject of most of Utigard's work is the human figure in multiple imagery, dreamy landscapes, Southwestern scenes, extravagant floral designs and abstract compositions also share wall space in the gallery. Utigard is a true artist in that she is constantly experimenting with new styles, new methods of communicating. Her style is most recognizable by its soft colors and filmy, layered dimensions, with the designs trailing off onto the mats. However, she does not remain complacent with her successful "formula," and often departs into quite surprising contrasts. "My best work is unstructured and unplanned, and usually comes about while 'playing' with colors, feelings and images," she said. "I like to use familiar symbols which at first glance seem simple, but become more complicated on closer viewing. Starting is the hardest part, and nowadays finishing takes longer than it used to. Often, one idea will lead to another, like the patchwork collages which have inspired a group of 'quilt paintings' with bright abstract swatches of geometric patterns and prints." She keeps several painting in progress at a time, sometimes even taking an older painting and giving it a totally new look. She pointed to an example of a large exuberant flower painting which she reworked recently by superimposing transparent quilt-shapes, which give the painting a more interesting, tied-together feel. Returning to the topic of her travels, Utigard explained how she spends one month each summer in Vermont with her two sisters. "One has a greenhouse, and we used it to display and sell my work one year, which was a wonderful environment for the colors I use." Her other sister lives in the country surrounded by farms and green mountains. "There are so many visual and spiritual resources for me there, I leave with energy and impressions to last the entire year!" People, relationships, dreams and what she calls "knowings," or having to do with the spirit world, are the substance of her work. "I love being with lots of people," she explained, which is why she chooses certain locations to display and sell her work. She prefers shows held in shopping malls or convention and civic centers where large crowds gather. She often paints while others watch and does well at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the Omaha Civic Center and malls in Chicago and New York. She travels to those areas in the warmer months, while January through March find her on the Florida circuit selling her wares and enjoying reunions with her southern relatives. In discussing her professional history, Utigard shared that she always knew she was an artist, even in grade school. Her college career at the University of Cincinnati began in fashion design, but ended with Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Science in Education degrees. In a watercolor class, she met Thomas. After college, Utigard was hired by Hallmark to illustrate greeting cards, which began her years in the commercial art field. When they moved to Houston and their children were small, Utigard ran her own graphic design business out of their home. AstroWorld hired her to paint sets, murals and posters, and she recalls that though the work was not easy for her, it was good to have done it for the discipline. "But then I realized that I needed to do what my heart wanted to do," she said. So she began painting and selling her work. When the family moved to Corpus Christi, Utigard worked for awhile with Will Clay, who she described as a "very talented advertising illustrator who let me be creative." But her paintings were taking over, and after one last venture which found her designing the Buccaneer Days coronation gowns, her commercial free-lance career was ended. Utigard has won many awards for her work, which is displayed in public and private collections throughout the world. "So many people have helped me along the way," she said, smiling. "One friend recently designed my website in return for a painting." It is a pleasant experience to visit Utigard's studio and be immersed in the magical quality of her soft-hued visions and perhaps leave with one of her paintings or prints, as a reminder that our life will please us the most when the heart is happy and at home. Utigard's work can also be found at CMR Gallery, Angle Light, and The Frame-Up. She can be reached at 361-887-8860 or www.utigard.com.
|
|
|
|
