Carole Hutchings Artist

I am a North East artist working from my studio in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

It is difficult to remember a time in my life when I have not been artistic. From an early age I was always wanting to draw and create. Attending art college gave me a direction to challenge my creativity to new limits. I was fascinated by the complex yet seemingly simplistic elements of good design and the challenges that brought. This steered me toward a new direction; to study Graphic Design. I studied Graphic Design at Cleveland College of Art in Middlesbrough, which led me to a career in that field. In more recent years I have adopted a new direction and fresh approach, whereby I have focused on my art, to showcase to a wider audience,which has been a lifelong ambition.

Growing up overlooking the beautiful North East coast, in an area of vastly contrasting landscapes; from the tranquil North Yorkshire moors and Whitby, to the then ship building, steel and chemical industries around Middlesbrough and the River Tees, the Northumberland coast, the stunning beach at Bamburgh with its castle, Holy Island, Seahouses and the River Tyne estuary, have always been areas of great inspiration and fascination for me. As a child, I often whiled away the hours at the South Gare on the River Tees estuary with my dad and have particular fond memories of trying to dodge the spray from the waves as they hit the sea wall around the lighthouse, it was such fun and so exhilarating.

I work in a mixed media of soft pastel and gouache, creating images which have a gritty and ethereal quality. I get so much pleasure from working in soft pastel, which I use for the looser and gradiated areas of the work. In contrast to this, I apply gouache to specific areas of the piece to create fine details and definition. The tactile nature of the pastel medium and the blending of the layers with the fingertips, for me, enhances my emotional bond to the work.

I have always felt in tune with my surroundings and mindful to the world around me and this has been the inspiration for my other collection of work named
'A Journey through Harmony' series and 'Dwelling Places' series from my Fastasy Landscapes collection. Contrasting in style to my other work, these collections of imaginary/fantasy landscapes are however executed in the same way, concentrating on tone and texture.

I hope you will take as much pleasure in viewing my work, as I have experienced in creating it.