Caroline will be exhibiting as part of Artists in Woodstock, at St Mary Magdalene Church, Woodstock, and also in some of the town's windows, where you can enjoy an art trail. The theme of the trail is Art, Mind and Soul. When you wander around Woodstock and St Mary’s you’ll be invited to look at the art that you see in different ways. The group be encouraging ‘slow art appreciation’ with activities in the church that encourage appreciation of what you see, in new ways. And we’re creating a ‘Mindful Meander’ around the windows, using a technique which reduces anxiety, by engaging all our senses. We hope that by introducing this additional element, helps people to enjoy the art even more.
Caroline Parkes is an amateur artist, and the founder of Artists in Woodstock. She started painting in 2021 under the mentorship of Carrie Stanley, and three years into her hobby, has a house that’s been rapidly overtaken by the artwork. She paints mainly in oils, often over fluorescent or metallic acrylics, and has been known to add a bit of glitter. She’s is, most definitely, a painting maximalist.
Her subjects range from abstract florals, to figurative scenes, to fashion inspired subjects. What holds them together is a flamboyant love of colour.
Underneath the joy, sits a darkness which she constantly seeks to explore. Since 2022 she has been working through grief and trauma, and she uses art to work through her feelings. She is a great believer in the healing power of art, which has inspired 2024’s Artweeks theme ‘Mind, Art & Soul.’