Artist Focus: Carmen Drake Gordon

Since childhood, Carmen Drake Gordon has had a passion for classical art and nature. Later in her life, she would find herself learning the techniques of the Old Masters in ateliers and private instruction with Paul S. Brown and several other well-known contemporary artists. She continues to stay true to these practices in her north light studio, the 1901 original homestead to her property.Self-Portrait, Me Visiting with Darkness, oil on linen panel, 14 x 11"

Gordon resides at Oak Hollow Farm and Studios, which sits above the waters of Wads Creek just south of Carthage, North Carolina. Here she finds inspiration for her paintings by surrounding herself with antiques, flower gardens, farm animals and nature. She relates to a quote by Paul Cezanne: “A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.” Her hope is that her work translates the emotional connection she has with her subjects, finding beauty in a fading flower, a fallen nest or a castaway antique umbrella.Fading Roses, oil on linen panel, 12 x 16"Currently she is exploring the narrative portrait. Again, she focuses on telling a story through the subtle emotional expressions in her muses and self-portraits. She says, “So much can be said with the gaze of one’s eyes, the slightest turn in the corners of one’s mouth, the tilt of one’s head or the bearing of one’s torso. These are small attributes but can speak loudly in a painting.”Figs and Fleurs, oil on linen panel, 10 x 8"Gordon is represented by Collins Galleries in Orleans, Massachusetts. She will exhibit in their Spring Invitational this May. She is also currently preparing for her first solo showcase show to be held in Charleston, South Carolina, with Principle Gallery in September 2022. —