ARTIST BIO

Carol Newton

Born in Whitby in the UK, Carol Migrated to South Australia in 2003 and has lived in the Barossa for the last sixteen years.Having acheived school based Art Qualifications Carol trained in Graphic design for two years at Yorkshire Coast College and the went on to complete a further year at Harrogate College of Art.

On qualifying and exploring employment options Carol became torn between two career choices,eventually deciding that nursing was really her true vocation. This career lasted over thirty five happy and Sucessful years both in the UK and in Australia, culminating in working ten years working in Palliative Care as a Clinical Practice Consultant working in the community setting in South Australia.

Taking early retirement in 2014, Carol saw this as an opportunity to further explore her two passions, travel and her love of art and has been lucky to travel extensively and was able to join a local amateur art group in the Barossa the same year that she retired. Having stepped down from her role as joint chair of this group having served for two and a half years she has focused on becoming an established artist here in South Australia.

Carol first exhibited work as part of a group exhibition In SALA 2019 at Sant Hallett Winery in the Barossa Valley, her first solo exhibition appeared in SALA 2022 in thier online platform due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Pieces of Carols work were also selected for inclusion in the Barossa Regional Gallery exhibition entitled "Emergence", part of the Barossa Vintage Festival 2022. Her most recent exhibition was a successful collaboration with her friend and mentor artist Judith Kittle. Entitled "a Moment in Time" held at Callabria Family Wines, part of the inaugural Barossa Arts Fesival where Carol was excited to have sold multiple pieces of her artwork in addition to receiving a number of commissions for future works.

Artist Born in Whitby in the UK, Carol Migrated to South Australia in 2003 and has lived in the Barossa for the last sixteen years.Having acheived school based Art Qualifications Carol trained in Graphic design for two years at Yorkshire Coast College and the went on to complete a further year at Harrogate College of Art.

On qualifying and exploring employment options Carol became torn between two career choices,eventually deciding that nursing was really her true vocation. This career lasted over thirty five happy and Sucessful years both in the UK and in Australia, culminating in working ten years working in Palliative Care as a Clinical Practice Consultant working in the community setting in South Australia.

Taking early retirement in 2014, Carol saw this as an opportunity to further explore her two passions, travel and her love of art and has been lucky to travel extensively and was able to join a local amateur art group in the Barossa the same year that she retired. Having stepped down from her role as joint chair of this group having served for two and a half years she has focused on becoming an established artist here in South Australia.

Carol first exhibited work as part of a group exhibition In SALA 2019 at Sant Hallett Winery in the Barossa Valley, her first solo exhibition appeared in SALA 2022 in thier online platform due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Pieces of Carols work were also selected for inclusion in the Barossa Regional Gallery exhibition entitled "Emergence", part of the Barossa Vintage Festival 2022. Her most recent exhibition was a successful collaboration with her friend and mentor artist Judith Kittle. Entitled "a Moment in Time" held at Callabria Family Wines, part of the inaugural Barossa Arts Fesival where Carol was excited to have sold multiple pieces of her artwork in addition to receiving a number of commissions for future works. Thi year Carol is showing at Callabria Family Wines with two other artists again as part of the Barossa Arts Festival.

Artist Statement

I used to aspire to be a watercolour painter as I really admire the lightness of touch that many artists have when using this medium but my training in graphic design keeps coming through and "I can't help myself" from using pen and in to draw into the piece so I eventually decided to "embrace" the line and combine the two. Then I discovered acrylic inks and love the unpredictable,exciting and vibrant results they produce.

My creative process begins by wetting the paper thoroughly, I then drop the acrylic inks on to the page, it's a very random methodology but the effects and colours are amazing. I then use my imagination and decided what the colours and shapes suggest to me and then I commence adding detail with pen work. I consider that the most important thing about my work is not the finished result ( although it's always nice to have a piece that works out) but it's the creation process and how it makes me feel when "I'm in the zone". When I'm working I go to a different place, forget about time and what's happening in the outside world and as a result my mind, body and spirit becomes revitalised, hopefully this is reflected in my work in some way.