The Artist - Carol Pettit Harding
Carol Pettit Harding was born in Pleasant Grove, Utah, on November 1, 1935, and later moved with her family to Salt Lake City, where she spent most of her early years. While she was still in grade school in Salt Lake City, her work was chosen to be sent to Russia as part of a student cultural project. She won her first national art competition at age 13.
A 1965 graduate of the Famous Artists' School of Connecticut, Harding taught art classes for 15 years, until she realized her life-long dream of building her own studio adjacent to her home in Pleasant Grove. She also studied at the Gloucester, Massachusetts Academy of Art. Since 1979, she has devoted her time to painting rather than teaching, and she has garnered state and national awards for her work. Her work is owned by collectors throughout the United States and is currently represented by galleries in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.
Carol Harding is a plein-air painter, painting as much as possible outdoors, right on the spot. Together, Carol and three other women artists of Utah have surmounted many obstacles to enjoy their plein-air painting. "Umbrellas have been blown inside out, paintings and palettes have landed face down, feet have been frozen and bodies scorched. Yet standing in the open air awed by the panorama of possibilities is an incredible and matchless experience," explains Birdie Boorman, one of the artists.
Harding works with enthusiasm as a figurative, landscape, and still-life artist. Working primarily with oils and pastels, she also sculpts, as she strives to reflect an intimate and sensitive statement about life around her, which she enjoys sharing with others. Her work has been described as having "a profound, magic opulence" and a "contemplative solitude" that suit her landscapes of the fantastical Southern Utah canyonlands. She is a Member of the Pastel Society of America, the Degas Pastel Society, and the Knickerbocker Artists of New York.
Carol Harding says of her work,
Expressing life through art has given me an opportunity to share, savor, and celebrate experiences. My goal is to be touched spiritually and learn and improve, seeking that at-one-ment with cherished moments. I feel compelled and joyful to be able to create relations of this unique world of color, atmosphere and magical light. Robert Southwell expressed it well when he said, 'Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live.'
The Art
CAROL PETTIT HARDING (1935- ) Pleasant Grove, UT
Symbols of the Orient 1992
pastel, 25 1/4" x 18 1/2" (64.2 x 47.2 cm)
Gift from Blake and Nancy Roney of Provo, Utah, SMA 1998.034
Carol Harding uses art to express life. Symbols of the Orient is a still-life of Chinese objects in a setting that is rich in detail. However, the composition of this piece is simple and allows the dramatic use of color, light, and shadow to capture the viewer's attention. The viewer can see the sheen of the silken threads that, woven together, form the fabric of the Oriental kimono. Its intricate pattern of flowers and the one large bird is meticulously picked out in vivid hues of pastel color. The large black vase and the smaller purple vase have an almost luminescent quality; they reflect the bright colors of the kimono and the light from a nearby window.
Harding's mastery of detail. light, shadow, color and form is clearly evident in this work of art. According to Dr. Vern G. Swanson, Symbols of the Orient is realistic in detail, having the appearance of a photograph, yet demonstrating vividly expressive surfaces.
Concepts
Visual Art Core Curriculum - Utah State Office of Education
Under the Standards of Media, Structures and Functions, and Subjects, Symbols, and Ideas, this print can help the student:
- Explore the pastel media, techniques, and processes. Create a pastel artwork.
- Demonstrate the use of color to create unity. Identify the function of art as a means to create beauty.
- Create an image using symbols.
Under the Standard of Context, this print can help the student:
- Identify works of the Symbolism and Photo Realism styles, particularly artists Paul Gaughuin and Audrey Flack.
- Investigate the symbolic aspects in culture and in the individual student's life.
Under the Standard of Evaluation and Criticism, this print can help the student:
- Examine the mimetic (realistic) stance in art creation.
- Describe the objects and elements within an artwork
Under the Standard of Connections, this print can help the student:
- Compare and contrast the use of unity and/or symbolism in literature and visual art.
- Make connections between the characteristics of visual arts within a particular historical period or style with ideas, issues, or themes in language.
Under the Standard of Portfolios and Exhibitions, this print can help the student:
- Curate an exhibition according to artistic purposes.
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