FLOWOOD — Pacesetter Gallery here welcomed art enthusiasts and collectors on Aug. 23 to watch landscape painter Carol Roark of Tallahatchie County paint live and talk about her journey and painting process.
Refreshments were served and there were breaks which allowed attendees to talk with the artist.
After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mississippi State University, Roark spent several years as an equine illustrator and portrait artist. She created cover designs for The Chronicle of the Horse, Equine Art News and helped illustrate the biography “America’s Horse,” based on the life of famed quarterhorse Rugged Lark.
She was the official artist and program cover designer for the Dixie National Quarter Horse Show from 1995 through 2005, becoming highly successful and receiving much recognition.
Through the study of the colorist theories and working strictly on location, Roark learned to see color, light key and atmosphere in a way she had never imagined. The enjoyment of plein air rekindled her admiration for the Mississippi landscape. The love has become evident in her portrayal of the Southern landscape.
When asked what she sees as most important in her art, Roark said, “I just want to show the world the beauty that is right in front of them. I love the South and the Southern landscape and I think the beauty here is overlooked. It’s all about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.”
Carol is a member of the American Impressionist Society, the Oil Painters of America, the Mississippi Oil Painters Association, the Mississippi Plein Air Painters and the Memphis Germantown Art League.
Keri Davis, Pacesetter Gallery owner and artist, said, “Our mission at the gallery is to provide meaningful art throughout a person’s life, support Mississippi-made art and unique gifts. Carol Roark is a stellar artist, bringing the viewer into each work. It is amazing to watch her painting come to life.”
