Today we’d like to introduce you to Carl Stoveland.
Carl, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have spent most of my creative career as a working photographer. In the 1990’s I was working in Photo labs and was a wedding and portrait photographer. I ended up putting down my camera for a bit to embark on a career in IT. I spent 15 years working in technology, but it did not take long for me to realize I had to make art. I took up watercolor in 2001 and spent a several years as an active member of the Cape Cod Art Association and Piermont Flywheel gallery showing mostly photographs, but a few paintings as well. In 2014 I opened Gallery Meraki in Garnerville where I created art but also discovered a passion for teaching while doing photography workshops.
In 2016 my wife Wendy got a job offer that brought us to Palm Beach County and we discovered Lake Worth and settled down here. Its funky vibe and artistic downtown drew us in. We love the neighborhoods with their old Florida feel and smaller houses.
To get to know people I did a project called “I am Lake Worth”. I photographed people I met and got them to tell me what makes Lake Worth special to them. The exhibit held at the Hatch was a big success and spun off a second exhibit “I am Lake Worth Too!” and a podcast where I got to have more in-depth conversations with my subjects. That started the ball rolling for me in my new hometown.
In my time here, I have fallen in love with the landscape of South Florida both the beauty of the Palm Beach architecture and the Everglades. I have been documenting it in paint, sketches, and photos since I got here.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been mostly a smooth road. The time of Covid and lockdowns changed all of us in one way or another. I had also been doing portrait and event photography but that work ground to a halt. The silver lining was that I had time to transition my focus to painting.
Now, I teach workshops on urban sketching and watercolor classes twice a week at Mounts Botanical Garden. I spend as much time as possible out in nature plein air painting in oils as well which is a medium I first tried a year ago. I’ve kind of reinvented myself from 90% photography and 10% painting. Those numbers are now reversed I’m discovering new ways to reinterpret the subjects I’m drawn to.
I am thankful for the time I have had to explore and figure out who I am as an artist. I think the biggest challenges have been the starts and stops. It has taken me a while to really discover who I am as an artist. It’s been a bit of a struggle to find just the right gallery to represent me as I explored a variety of medium and styles. I have a bit of artistic wanderlust and a need to explore which can be hard to define my work. One week I’m painting abstracts, the next I focusing on traditional landscape techniques. In the mean time I keep creating and seeing what works. One upside is I discovered my love for teaching and plan to expand where I teach this fall. There is a blessing to teaching I did not expect.. It’s made me a better artist. Having to be able to break down your process and explain really gives you insight into what you are doing and how you do it and can improve it. My responsibility to my students has forced me to be more disciplined in my own art.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Funny. I’ve kind of already talked some about my work. I guess that’s because my work is a huge part of who I am and being a husband and son makes up the pieces to my puzzle. As far as work I’m proud of “I am Lake Worth” it was special and made me a part of the city quickly.
I’m proud that in 2020 I was selected for three different artist-in-residence programs (Big Cypress National Preserve, Dry Tortugas National Park, and Chalk Hill in Sonoma) Covid got in the way of attending two of them but in September 2020 I spent a month off the grid on Loggerhead Key in the Dry Tortugas. Being 90 Miles from Havana and 70 miles from Key West on a 1/3 square mile island with only 2 buildings and a decommissioned lighthouse was both challenging and the most amazing experience.
The dark skies at night allowed me to take some of my best photos ever. I did leave wondering what more I wanted to say with a camera. I think that is partly why I started to focus on painting after that to express myself.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I’m trying to find just the right gallery to represent my ever-changing mix of styles and mediums. If you’d like to see more of my work go to carlstovelandart.com. Also for the last two years, I have been active with Urban Sketchers Palm Beach a group that goes out every week and sketches around Palm Beach County.
If you are interested in joining us look for our FB group. We recently got approval as an official chapter of Urban Sketchers. It’s a wonderful group that sketches together from life in any medium. No experience at all is needed. I am also a Member of the Artists of Palm Beach County and the Wellington Art Society.
Contact Info:
- Website: Carlstovelandart.com
- Instagram: @carlstoveland
- Facebook: Facebook.com/carlstoveland
- Youtube: @carlstoveland
