Local Artist Carol Jeanette Keen

Local Artist Carol Jeanette Keen

I was born in Laona, a small town in northern Wisconsin.  “How small was it?”  well, one grandfather was Chief of Police and the other the Postmaster.  It was 20 degrees below zero the day I was born, and I knew right away that I wanted to move to Florida!  It took 13 years, but we finally settled in Orlando.  My dad was in the army, so we moved quite a bit.  I was in five schools before the 8th grade…three of those were in second grade alone!  That is army life.

I studied commercial art after high school which led to a few interesting jobs…window dresser for Dickson & Ives Dept. store in Orlando and Beall’s in Eau Gallie.  I painted the “Big Blue H” for Harris Corp., which is what the logo used to be.  They even sent me to a few places to paint this logo on several antenna dishes around the country…Las Vegas, Dallas, Mystic Connecticut, and…Holopaw!  I loved Mystic and visited the Seaport Museum and Sturbridge Village in Mass. while I was there.  Later I painted a couple of pictures that I had taken there.  What a beautiful country!

I lived in Orlando until employment brought us to Palm Bay.  I am fortunate to have my entire family nearby, two sons and daughters-in-law, six granddaughters and now a grandson-in-law.  Love it!

My first art classes were in oil painting with Louise Cherwak, Marge Matheson, and Gary Loucks.  I also participated in pastel drawing with Frank Freeland, if I were not painting, I would enjoy doing pastel drawing.  These were all great evening classes while my sons were growing up.  

Eventually I took my first watercolor class with Mary Agrusa and then graduated to classes with Therese Ferguson and here I will stay.  I love watercolors, love the way the colors blend.  A painting can be as detailed or as loose as the artist desires, and I like both.  I am drawn to plants and animals, wherever the color catches my eye.

Other hobbies include jewelry making and gourds.  I need a bigger house!

I am a member of the Art and Antique Studio and Gallery, the Brevard Watercolor Society, and the Brevard Cultural Alliance.  It is very gratifying to see my own work displayed in public.

Besides my artistic endeavors, my granddaughters occupy much of my time.  Most of them are interested in arts and crafts…imagine that!

I would encourage anyone who has any artistic interests at all to investigate various art classes.  There are so many avenues to discover that no one should deprive themselves of the pleasure that art brings.