Artist of Note | Caroline Korbell Carrington

The happy desert

Caroline Korbell Carrington, Desert Mesa, oil, 13 x 30.

This story was featured in the August 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

When Caroline Korbell Carrington was studying painting at Texas Christian University, she was the only landscape painter in the class. Other students developed abstract paintings while she focused on depicting the land she grew up loving on her family’s ranch. Coming from a family of creative people, it was natural for Carrington to pursue her passion for painting. “I just love the pure land without any people or buildings,” she says. “It makes me happy.”

: Caroline Korbell Carrington, Clouds Above Sangre de Cristo Mountains, oil, 40 x 60.

: Caroline Korbell Carrington, Desert Rose, oil, 48 x 36.

: Caroline Korbell Carrington, Prickly Pear With Coral, oil, 30 x 22.

Today the artist works on large canvases that depict sweeping views of the land and sky surrounding her home in Texas. “A painting needs to take up space,” she says. “I love when you walk into a room and you can’t miss it.” The artist says her husband, sculptor William Carrington, is also a source of inspiration. “It’s wonderful to be around, and be supported by, another creative person every day,” she says.

: Caroline Korbell Carrington, Sierra Dacate, oil, 18 x 16.

: Caroline Korbell Carrington, West Texas Landscape, oil, 24 x 30.

: Caroline Korbell Carrington, Approaching Front, oil, 36 x 48.

While the artist’s style shows the influences of modernism and impressionism, her principal role model is renowned western painter Georgia O’Keeffe. With thick brush strokes and bold colors, Carrington manipulates the landscape into her own unique vision. “It’s rare that it’s green around here, so I tend to gravitate toward the reds and yellows,” she says. “But I love the colors and use them to show a bright and happy desert, not one of devastating death.” Carrington hopes her paintings inspire others to get outside and enjoy the land. —Mackenzie McCreary

Carrington is represented by Hunt Gallery, San Antonio, TX; Kiowa Gallery, Alpine, TX; and www.korbellart.com.