Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Flynn
Hi Caitlin , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been drawn to art. I grew up in southern New Hampshire and had the most incredible High School Art Teacher. As soon as I was old enough to drive, I would drive or take the bus into Boston and go to the Museum of Fine Arts with my sketch pad. I used to study all the artists and learn different techniques.
I studied art at the University of New Hampshire and then earned my master’s at Pratt Institute. Throughout undergrad and graduate school I took as many opportunities to connect with artists and exhibit my work as possible.
I’ve been working full time as a professional artist for the last eight years, and just began teaching at the University of North FLorida. I love being back in the classroom, but also having time for my own art practices.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think of it as a marathon. There are times of finacial stability and times when you need to get creative, but what I do is exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. I feel so lucky that I get to do exactly what I dreamed of.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am mostly known for my expressive and gestural style of painting. My figures are very gestural, and my landscapes are very expressive. I like bright bold colors and strong expressive brushstrokes.
STATEMENT:
“To me, art is about losing yourself and tapping into something larger- suspending time in wonder- angst- and hope”
I work with the concept of memory in my studies, often beginning with a specific experience — either her own or inspired by a photograph. Memory is fluid; figures are intentionally kept loose and gestural. I play with paint. Like memory, it’s sometimes lush and vibrant, sometimes thin and dripping away. Land and seascapes are broad and dreamy, stripped of specificity. Color, composition and mood dominate.
My most recent series, American Dream: Steps Toward Abstraction examines my reflections on the American Dream. The paintings in this series begin with words written hundreds of times on the canvas. She paints over the words and plays with the visibilty of that word in the painting’s context. The work is intended to be shown in three stages: Daydream, Fog, and Abstract.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Coming from a somewhat competetive art scene in New York, I love how close the art community is here in Jacksonville. I am always so glad to meet other artists here in the city. We’ve got tons of talent here!
Pricing:
- 1,000-14,000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://caitlinflynn.com/home.html
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitlinflynnart/
