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Text by Tony DiMartino
When last year's seemingly relentless hurricanes battered
Carol Fitzsimmons' home in Melbourne, Florida, "we had to evacuate
twice," she recalls, still sounding dazed. "For months, we ran back
and forth between our house and a rental while we tried to
rebuild." Although she laughingly describes herself as "a controlling
perfectionist," Carol thrives on unexpected challenges. Born in New
York City, she started drawing at an early age, inspired by art
supplies from her grandmother, a fashion executive. Equally
influential were the riding lessons she took as a child. "There's no
better anatomical drawing class than grooming a horse." Carol, 51, never took
formal art lessons. "I developed on my own." After high school, she married,
had a son, and studied interior design. Then came a series of creative
jobs: floral designer, surfboard painter, and partner in a handmade tile
business.
(a) Before the Florida hurricanes. "My studio got hit hard, reduced to rafters and walls." (b) A piece from Carol Fitzsimmons' "Dreaming of Leonardo" series, inspired by Da Vinci's drawings. (c) Multiple images of a patiently waiting Labrador, shown in various moods. "Some people are drawn to babies. For me, it's animals. I love their nuanced expressions."
creative process
(d) Carol keeps drawings in plain view, "so I get a sense of which
images to collage together. Sketches and notations are like thought
processes to meÐfree associating, one thought leading to another,
then adding up to a fuller thought." (e) "The toy horses are
flea-market finds. I just couldn't pass them up." Additional inspiration is
provided by a `30s illustration ("My favorite era!") and one of the last
letters written by her grandmother.
Animal Instincts page
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