CAROLE PIERCE

Grand Southwest Turquoise Sky, 2023, Oil on canvas, 72 x 72 in

ARTIST STATEMENT

My paintings continue to explore and celebrate the immense magnificence of the unending skies and open land I remember from my Texas childhood. The vastness of that landscape shaped my earliest sense of space, light, and stillness, leaving a lasting impression that continues to guide my work. Standing before a distant horizon evoked feelings of freedom, infinite possibility, and peace, along with the quiet anticipation that something hopeful and exciting lay just beyond view.

That early experience remains central to my artistic vision. Expansive skies, shifting light, and the subtle transitions of atmosphere form the emotional core of my paintings. I am drawn to the ever-changing qualities of weather — drifting clouds, luminous haze, and the soft diffusion of light — and the way these fleeting conditions transform both land and sky. Through watercolor, I seek to capture these transient moments, allowing the fluidity of the medium to mirror the movement of air, light, and moisture across the landscape.

The horizon persists in my consciousness as a place where earth and sky meet — a quiet threshold that suggests openness, reflection, and continuity. It represents both grounding and possibility, offering a sense of calm while inviting the imagination to wander beyond what is visible. In this meeting of space and atmosphere, I hope to convey a feeling of stillness, contemplation, and renewal.

Ultimately, my work is an expression of memory, place, and emotional connection — an invitation to pause, breathe, and experience the restorative power of open space and light.