Carolyn H. WarmSun

Painting is my passion and joy. My process is intuitive, though informed by good composition and design principles. I paint what I remember, or think about, or feel, or just what comes off my hands to the brush to the canvas. Texture and color are of primary importance to me. I typically choose my support, texture it, select my palette, and go. There is nothing more satisfying to me than watching paint run and move. I love the surprises. I experiment and learn constantly. It is a remarkable journey. One I am pleased to share with you.

Transition

Pupukea

Desert Memories

Blue Rain

Portfolio Narrative

There have been some major influences in my life that show up in my work:

The Natural World has been for me a source of wonder and awe, sensory input, and beauty. As much as the beauty, however, I have increasingly become fascinated with the elegant systems of the natural world and their remarkable interconnectedness.

I chose to study psychology and sociology in college, learning about human consciousness and unconsciousness, motivation, and the systems evident in human behavior and learning.
My father always said there was some Cherokee in his genetic background. I do not know if this is true and have no documentation and do not need any. I am clearly NOT Native American. But being raised with this information and my father’s love of Native American lore, has influenced my life and art—from the reading of Native American philosophy and spirituality, to the study of petroglyphs and rock art, to the choice of my last name.
Knowledge of psychology, the natural world, and Native American writings that reflect a deep connection between the two, has led me to explore Spirit and the relationship of nature and human consciousness in my work. I started by painting what I saw as I learned the basics. But I was not satisfied. In late 2009, in my favorite used bookstore, I found PAINTING THE SPIRIT OF NATURE by Maxine Masterfield, and in February of 2010, I went to Florida to spend four days with her, learning how to paint the Spirit of nature. A year later, and again two years after that, I took a workshop with Katherine Chang Liu, whose specialty is to assess personality and painting in order to make them “one breath”. I also found Jeremy Morgan, who does seminars through the Lucid Art Institute. Jeremy helped me understand the connection of human consciousness and art—or, the nature of Spirit.