Three Tarpon, Acrylic Painting
by Carroll Swayze
Although originally from the snowy north, artist Carroll Swayze has lived on the west coast of Florida for more than 30 years, and her art reflects that proximity to the sea. While attending Ringling School of Art & Design in Sarasota, she fell in love with the water and stayed in the area to work.
Although she has been a working artist for her whole adult life, her paintings and etchings were infused with a new energy after the explosion of the BP Deep Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Her studio is in Englewood—a small fishing community on the water where she creates her artwork and fishes in the waters surrounding Boca Grande and Charlotte Harbor—and one of her sones is a charter boat captain, so her connection to the marine environment. Her newest series of paintings and etchings focuses on the creatures of the Gulf, and the acrylic paintings of tarpon capture the majesty of this amazing fish. She hopes that her portrayals of these incredible creatures will shine light on the importance of protecting the fragile ecosystem of the Gulf. For more information, visit Carroll’s website.
