Artist Statement After eighteen years of comfort with my style of painting, I was curious where some changes would lead. Time during the pandemic led me to explore some new directions and ideas. My color theory was a place to begin, with more emphasis on clear light and dark values and harmony. Discovering the potential of a limited color palette was such a surprise! Making expressive marks and shapes led me to a couple of years of purely abstract work that I enjoyed for the personal freedom it allowed. But the subject matter in my past work, sense of place, and interpretation of human figures were calling. The obvious next challenge was to put a little more of this new and complex language that I was learning into my favorite local imagery. For example, I am loving how the tree shapes are abstract paintings themselves, and simplifying everything is a win for the viewer (and me). Carole WadeDecember, 2023