About the Artist Robert E. Carter Jr.
My artistic passion lies in oil painting. While I enjoy pastels and charcoal, it is oil painting that draws me in and has helped propel my life. I enjoy many aspects of the old masters works: the lighting of Vermeer’s paintings, Monet’s brush strokes, and the lifelike skin tones of Rembrandt. I am also inspired by newer works: Dali’s surrealism and O’Keefe’s symbolism. Although each of them have very different styles, there is a common theme: when I view them, my mouth drops and my heart beats loudly. I strive to create works that elicit the same visceral reaction. The creative process relaxes me and helps forge my way in the world.
I grew up in Southern Indiana, moving to Georgia as a teen. Art helped me escape from the anger of moving during this volatile time of my life. I married right out of high school and joined the Army. I could explore Europe on the weekends visiting the art of Paris, Florence and Rome. The Army also gave me the opportunity to live in Alaska, where I was in awe of the landscape. Art helped me through the anguish of school changes, two divorces and the traumas of three wars: the first Gulf War, Somalia and Iraq after rejoining the military later in life. These experiences have inspired some of my most provocative works while enjoying the rewards of viewer reactions.
More recently, I have been focussing on the beauty and wonder of the world. I am striving to capture that beauty and translate it into my paintings. When I first touched a canvas and applied oil paint to it, I was hooked: the way that the paint blends and stays wet longer, the smell of it, and even the messiness of trying to control the colors. My graphic arts professor, at Vincennes University, why I spent so much time painting when it risks being replaced by computers? I was lost for words at first and told him it was simple for me. I explained that the opportunity to create something that will last for generations is worth that risk.
I have continued to create my own style. Indiana didn't really have the landscapes I wanted to paint. And, while Arizona provided the colors, cacti and beautiful plateaus, the heat made me struggle to catch my breath. When life events brought me back to Georgia, I tried doing figural work, which has been less gratifying without a live model. I also found that the more portraits I do, the more I yearn to do landscapes again. While in Georgia I was able to spend my time focusing on my plein air style. I painted several barns and lakes in the area and was noticed by the locals. That allowed me to leave twenty paintings in the gallery there.
I have realized that my artistic journey has mirrored my personal journey through life. My most fulfilling artworks have been those that capture people moving through landscapes, suspending a moment of a person’s life and their relationship to the earth. I now live back in Georgia and have finished my BFA in Painting. I'm trying to capture the beauty of the people in the portraits I paint. Your journey is my journey.