2015 MSAA Four Seasons Art Showcase Entrants

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Carol Eriksson – Homosassa, FL

My interest in art has been a part of me since my childhood. My favorite thing was my coloring book. As I grew, I didn’t think much about art until I was 19 years old. Then, the need to paint a picture consumed me. I bought oils and sat down to paint an image of a long-neck wine bottle. Yes, it looked like the wine bottle and I was hooked! I switched from oil to acrylics when working in ceramics. Now I work in oils, acrylics, and oil pencils.

If I don’t paint, I don’t feel complete. Dealing with multiple sclerosis has affected my ability to paint in recent years. I used to sit for hours on end. Now I take breaks and stop when I find myself getting sloppy in my painting. If I start out with a shaky hand, I either keep going until my hand remembers what it is supposed to do, or stop and continue another day. Fatigue, blurred vision and Trigeminal neuralgia, arising from MS, also makes painting difficult. However, my love of painting urges me to “push the envelope”. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

When I paint, my mind is in the picture physically, mentally and spiritually. This is what makes me feel whole and complete, despite MS.

 

Summer’s Peace
Summer's Peace
 - Artwork