Today we’d like to introduce you to Eileen Corse.
Hi Eileen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Painting impasto and alla prima, my paintings are alive with movement. Each work I do is done using only a 3-inch palette knife. My most successful series, Water, includes a grouping of paintings of people having fun at the beach or pool.
Although I set out to paint a very familiar genre, I was determined to paint in a way that my work would be unique and recognizable. A goal of mine is to create a painting that people cannot walk by without stopping to look.
In discussing this series, The Scout Guide, Charleston, stated, “Think the pool paintings of David Hockney, done in a painterly, choppy, and impressionistic style that harkens back to the impressionists. There’s something utterly contemporary about the bathing-suit-clad figures Eileen Corse paints.”
I have been blessed with feature articles in prominent national art magazines. American Art Collector Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, and Watershed Magazine (Canada) are a few that have included my works in articles.
I continue to look for growth in what I do, exploring other mediums and genres. We’ll see what’s around the corner.
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 didn’t find my true calling as an artist until I was 42. When I found art, it was the joy of my life. I couldn’t stop learning. I was obsessed. I read every art book imaginable. I opened my first art studio and I was hooked. After a few years, I opened a fine art gallery representing over 40 national artists. I did that for 8 years. During that time I also started a non-profit, Women Painters of the Southeast. There were nearly 800 members with 400 active members at any given time.
I decided 6 years ago to pull back and just concentrate on my own art. I closed the gallery and disbanded the non-profit to bring my art to the next level. Since then, I’ve moved into my own studio space again, and am happily painting. I am represented by galleries across the Eastern United States from Boston to Miami to Dallas.
The only obstacle I encountered in my career was disappointing juried art shows. My experience was that most of the award winners and judges were male. That was the main reason for starting the non-profit…to bring women into the winner circle. I raised over $80,000 and gave it all to women during shows as awards. I am very proud of that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an oil painter. I paint large-scale figurative paintings. I also like to venture into the landscape from time to time. Another diversion is waterfowl or koi fishes. I love being diverse, but my most popular series is my figurative “Water” paintings.
I am most proud of my style. It began with a reaction to mineral spirits. I began painting with a palette knife, and no need to use mineral spirits. That’s when my paintings started selling well, so I continued that. My style is unique and recognizable, which is what every artist strives for.
I am most proud of my efforts as a former gallery owner, promoting local and national artists. I am also very proud of the Women Painters of the SE non-profit I ran, helping other women secure a place in the art world.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up was a fun time. I grew up in Buffalo NY. Every summer we kids would get a dime from our mom and walk to the neighborhood pool and spend the entire day there swimming and playing. That’s when I discovered my love of Water. It’s the water.
It’s always been the water. It’s what inspires me.
Pricing:
- My prices range from $3000-$15,000
Contact Info:
- Email: eileencorse@gmail.com
- Website: www.eileencorse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eileen.corse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eileen.corse/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=eileen+corse
