After forty years in a wood shop repairing violins, Carole decided to set down the chisel, pick up a paintbrush and turn to painting.  She found watercolor to be a challenging medium as mistakes cannot be easily fixed.  But she also discovered the magic when pigment and water flowed into a serendipitous effect.  Carole loves the color of shadows on snow, watching sunlight sparkle and dance on water,  the feeling of discovering the first wildflower in spring and the sense of yearning at the sight of a windswept white pine. Being able to portray this resonance with nature through painting and sharing it with others is what brings her joy.

 

Carole has taken watercolor classes from Kendra Postma, Victoria Marnich and Eric Micheals.  In the summer of 2022, she had a solo exhibit of her paintings at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. Her jewelry has been exhibited at Synchronicity Gallery of Glen Arbor and Bergsma Gallery formerly in Grand Rapids. Carole’s artwork has been included in the West Michigan Regional Competitions (award winner 1998); Festival Visual Arts Competitions (award winner 1995);  Celebration of the Arts;  and at Regional Art Competitions in Lansing and Muskegon. Carole and her husband Jeff Lende have exhibited at art fairs in Michigan, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Madison.