-- Abstract palette: For a long time, Carol McArdle, of San Carlos Park, felt stuck creating art for other people and got away from herself and what she wanted and needed to paint. About eight years ago, determined to find herself and her own art again, she began setting aside one day a week – a Wednesday – to just paint. "It still felt like work," McArdle said, remembering thoughts running through her head about whether or not her current piece was marketable enough, would it sell, would enough people like it? It took awhile, but soon McArdle said, the voices were gone and it was just she and her art in harmony. That’s when she discovered abstract. "I fell in love with it," she said. "I wanted to be true to me."
-- Painting Florida: As luck would have it, McArdle has had few people buy her abstract paintings, though she has won awards for them. Her more realistic paintings of Florida landscapes have also won awards and have graced many of the art gallery halls in Southwest Florida and beyond. Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and raised mostly in England, finally settling in the United States in the 1990s, McArdle says she "loves Florida" and her landscape paintings showcase a real eye for natural surroundings.
-- Park research: McArdle visits state parks in Florida to study the nature that’s true to the state and takes tons of digital photos to work from. "I do my research in real natural parks," McArdle said. "The real Florida is disappearing so fast," and she likes that she’s helping to preserve it at least on canvas. "Trying to find the people who love natural Florida and who want to buy original art. It’s tough," McArdle said. "Art is not something people buy in a hurry," McArdle said.
-- Education: "I was born to paint," McArdle said. She knew that at age 10. "As an artist, I’ve always felt when the world zigs, I zag." In the 1970s, McArdle attended West Surrey College of Art & Design in England. Afterward, she hopped through several artistic careers such as sign writer, graphic artist and staff artist. She also produces murals and trompe l’oeil. "Every painting is a learning lesson. I have to be innovative…I never want to be an artist who stops learning and growing," McArdle said.
-- Learn more: McArdle, who paints in both oils and acrylics, depending on how fine of detail she wants for a painting, currently has pieces hanging in the Coconut Point mall office gallery. To see more of her work, abstracts, natural Florida paintings, and even photography, visit www.carolsheart.com. She’s even got a blog, with up to date information about what she’s painting and the thought process behind it.
