We had the good fortune of connecting with Carol Jenkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carol, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
The most important decision that contributed to my sucess as an artist was, loving to paint and putting in the hours and miles of canvas that it takes to really become a professional painter.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I realized that if I wanted to become a professional painter I would need a lot more training than then I got at the Museum School Of Fine Art in Boston. I needed to focus on learning from some of the best painters I knew of, so I took many great weeklong workshops where we painted outside everyday, no matter the weather. It was challenging and exciting and the best way I can think of to really learn. In order to become a really good painter,so many things need to become second nature, mixing colors, figuring out brushes, canvases, mediums and composition. This takes years of dedication and time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take a best friend to all the gorgeous places near where i live in the mountains. The little town where I live is at 9000 ft so Im surrounded by mountains, lakes and forests. I have a wonderful front porch that all my friends love to hang out on and share stories and laughs. For dinner we would go to our local family restaurant that has wonderful food and art on the walls.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents were the first ones to encourage and support me in my life as an artist. I cant begin to name allthe wonderful teachers that encouraged me while taking many great painting workshops.

Website: Caroljenkinsoils.com

Instagram: caroljenkins13

Facebook: caroljenkins13

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