Biography

Carol Stewart was born in Ontario, Canada in 1959.  She obtained a B.F.A. from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 1981, and finished her M.F.A. in painting at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri in 2010. For more than 30 years, Carol has rendered still life and gardens from London, UK, Vancouver, British Columbia and now St. Louis where she has lived for 19 years.  She came to St. Louis in 1992 when her husband, Paul Goodfellow took a job at Washington University.   Carol and Paul live in Clayton.  They have two sons, Jamie and Jonathan.

Carol’s still life and tablescape paintings are characterized by a sophisticated play of color and light. When closely studied, her pieces convey a network of patterning and mark making that creates texture and energy.  Stewart is inspired by flowers, plant life, and objects ranging from glass vases to fruit.  Recently she has been working on a series of Chinese lantern paintings inspired by a trip to San Francisco. Whether the stage is set up in her studio or painted directly from nature, Stewart’s painting succeeds both at close range and from a distance. The viewer is invited into the scene: an explosive field of color. As one’s gaze is anchored on the piece, a unified composition emerges while, at the same time, specific elements stand out. Subsequently, depth is established, objects are weighted through their shadows, and subtle balance is expressed through reflections of light that dance across the surface.  “I am interested in the abstract elements of the art work as much as the subject matter.  My still life paintings are not still.  I feel that my paintings are lasting over time and invite repeated exploration.”

Carol’s works can be found in private and corporate collections in Canada, the United States and the U.K.  She is represented by galleries in Chicago, Kansas City and in Canada.  She sells work from her studio by occasional open houses and by appointment. 

Education:

Master of Fine Arts, Fontbonne University, 2010
Master of Arts, Fontbonne University, 2004
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Queen's University, 1981

Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Award

SoloExhibitions:

2011    Sherry Leedy Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri
2011    Gallery KH, Chicago, Illinois
2011    Cinema Gallery, Urbana, Illinois
2010     MFA Graduation Exhibition, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis
2008     Loch Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2007     Bonsack Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri
2007     Fleishman Hilliard, St. Louis, Missouri
2006     Loch Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2004     Loch Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2004     The Ethical Society of St. Louis, Missouri
2003     University City Library, St. Louis, Missouri
2003     Loch Gallery (formerly Nancy Poole's Studio), Toronto
2001     Peter Bartlow Gallery, Chicago
2000     Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1998     Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1997     John Ramsay Contemporary Art, Vancouver, BC
1996     John Ramsay Contemporary Art, Vancouver, BC
1994     Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto, Ont., Canada
1994     John Ramsay Contemporary Art, Vancouver, BC
1992     Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto
1991     The Brock Street Gallery, Kingston, Ont., Canada
1991     Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto
1989     Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto
1988     Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto
1987     The Brock Street Gallery, Kingston
1986     Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto
1985     Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto
1984     Gustafsson Galleries, Brampton, Ont., Canada
1983     The Brock Street Gallery, Kingston, Ont., Canada
1981     The Brock Street Gallery, Kingston, Ont., Canada

Collections:

Advanced Endoscopy Center of St. Louis, Missouri
Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri
Beechgrove Children's Centre, Kingston, Ontario
Canaccord Capital Corportation Corporate Collection
The Center for Advanced Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis
Delta Hotels, Toronto, Ontario
Dupont Canada Inc. Corporate Collection
Glaxo Canada Inc. Corporate Collection
Physicians and Surgeons Institute Foundation, Toronto, Ontario
Richardson Capital, Canada
Richardson-Greenshields Corporate Collection
Richardson Partners Financial, Canada
Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, Kingston
School of Management, University of Toronto, Canada
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

   "The Botanical Still Life Paintings of Carol Stewart" article by Kayleigh Osness

©Carol M. Stewart 2011