Bio  

M.F.A. in Painting, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah GA
B.A. in Mathematics, Smith College, Northampton, MA

Painter, printmaker, and educator Karolyn Fraine spent her childhood constantly in motion----jumping waves in the warm waters of the Atlantic, riding bikes in the South Florida sunshine and swimming in the refreshing water of the backyard pool.
 
Fueled by an intense curiosity, artist Karolyn Fraine is an explorer. A career as a pilot in the United States Air Force and at United Airlines afforded a high-speed, front-row seat to experience sublime encounters with the natural world. With thousands of flight hours behind her, Fraine now celebrates the dynamic act of painting as the view from the cockpit continues to inform the scale and expansive nature of her work. From the bright light of an early morning takeoff to the vibrant hues of the setting sun, the colors and gestural brushwork reflected in her work capture the raw energy of Fraine's spirit! Her work is held in the permanent collection at the Beard & Weil Gallery, Wheaton College, Norton, MA, and in numerous private collections throughout the United States and Europe. She is inspired daily by the beauty of her hometown, Newport, RI. 


Artist Statement
 
Standing before a stark canvas ready to attack with a loaded brush is exhilarating - it's like a full-throttle take-off. From beginning to end, my senses awake with the texture of paint and the physical energy that weaves color, impressions, and memories across the vast surface. Fueled by an intense curiosity, I am an explorer. A career as a pilot in military and commercial aviation afforded a high-speed, front-row seat to experience sublime encounters with the natural world. With thousands of flight hours behind me, I now celebrate the dynamic act of painting - exploring movement, speed, and tension across the expanse of time and space. Past and present collide upon the canvas as gestural marks and expressive brushwork appear to fly off the surface. Recurring themes such as speed and stillness, expansion and compression, chaos and order, tension and release, emerge from each recollection. Every performance in front of the canvas records my thoughts and presence as I chase the sublime, leaving behind a trail of marks and color in my wake!