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The Art of Letting Go...
Showcasing the work of Caroline Bond
Emily
December 07, 2024
(Artwork images credited to Caroline Bond, unless otherwise noted)
Caroline shares that she’s always been creative.
“In my childhood, it was kind of an escape from a chaotic world I didn’t understand and was a bit scared of. I painted, drew, crafted, sculpted anything I could. But there was a kind of control about it. I wanted it all to be perfect. I didn’t allow myself to make mistakes.”
When she became a mum, her art took a back seat, and it was only when the children were a little older that she began drawing portraits again.
However, as before, the expectations around perfectionism took the joy out of creativity. She made the decision to stop creating altogether and to study accountancy, believing that she would enjoy working with the logic found in working with numbers.
Thinking back to this time she describes “stifling my own creativity was horrendous for my mental health. I felt like I'd lost a part of myself.”
Around this time she told me about a video she had stumbled across online of an artist using fluid paint. “I thought, that looks like fun, and that was it. I set up a little space in the attic and just started throwing paint around. It was such a mess and I ruined the carpet and got into big trouble with my husband, but I found a freedom in the process of mixing that paint and spreading it around that I hadn't felt before.” |
“It was permission to not care about the end result and just be in the moment and enjoy the colours and how they interacted with each other. It was a complete change in attitude from ‘art has to be really technical’, ‘really impressive’, like if you're not making it to show somebody, what's the point of it?” |
Her connection to water plays a significant role in her work.
Photo by thewavephotographer on Unsplash
Listening to Caroline share her experience with anxiety and the calmness she was able to find when immersed under water, it’s not surprising that she was drawn to such a harmonious medium to work with.
The ink shares similar attributes to the free moving and weightlessness of the ocean itself, the textured paste reminiscent of the seabed.
Her work portrays both aerial and submerged perspectives, offering a sense of distance and immersion. Interestingly, both perspectives offer that similar feeling of disconnection from the ‘noise’ at surface level.
Some of her recent collectors have been scuba divers, and it’s fascinating how her love for the underwater world has connected her with people eager to share their diving experiences with her. Something she wishes she could experience herself.
Curious about how the painting process feels for her, I asked what happens while she’s creating.
“My thoughts are always going a hundred miles an hour, but they slow down when I’m painting. There might just be one voice instead of ten. My body relaxes too; my shoulders drop, my breathing slows. Walking into my studio feels like entering a space just for me. I don’t think a lot of women get that. There's also definitely a dopamine hit from the colours and textures I use.”
Charmain Acomb Photograph
“As somebody who is incredibly impatient and likes to be in control, it's a humbling way to create because I know that if I force it, I'll ruin it. It's become my own therapy and education in how to chill out. How to stop thinking that I can make everything go the way I want it to. And that comes from childhood and not being in control. It's interesting how that weaves in.”
I confessed that I struggle with being ‘in the moment’ when I’m doing something creative, often focusing too much on the end result. Caroline admitted it’s still a challenge for her too. “It’s like mindfulness. In the beginning, you’re always wondering if you’re doing it right. I still have those thoughts. I had an absolutely atrocious morning in the studio yesterday. I stomped back into the house complaining that it was a waste of time. So it's not positive all of the time. But the more you feed into that frustration, the worse it gets. Sometimes, you just have to step away.”
Her practical advice?
“I approach it with curiosity, almost like I’m a conduit. It helps to believe the paint has its own idea of what it wants to be. I know it sounds mystical, but it’s happened enough times that I trust the process. Some of my pieces have thirty or forty layers on them and the beauty of working in layers is that I know it will work out eventually.”
Talking about how pieces come together,
“Some paintings come quickly, with ease, and sell just as fast. They're in and out of my life in a matter of weeks. Others hang around, and when a piece stays that long, it has seen you through whole seasons of your life. Your story gets woven into it. I have three pieces hanging in my house that I struggled with the most, one took nine months, another over a year. Now, I’m more attached to them because of how hard they were to get right. I never thought I’d display my own work at home, but with those three, I know they're done, and I’m content with that.”
Caroline is passionate about making art that is accessible. Despite her growing recognition, she’s deliberately kept her work affordable, focusing on community and teaching. |
Her online course has become a hub for helping others overcome the fear of starting their own art journeys. Talking about her course, Caroline said, "So many people I've spoken to are interested in art but feel intimidated or scared to start because they haven’t made anything since school. They worry about getting it wrong, making rubbish, or wasting materials. What makes this medium so accessible is that there’s no 'wrong' way to do it. You just have to dive in and figure it out as you go, which I love helping people with.”
“I don't want there to be a barrier between artists and hobbyists, I want an open conversation. I’ve started getting comments from people like, ‘I really want to try this, I just bought supplies,’ or, ‘I gave it a go, what do you think?’ This often leads to a deeper conversation and they may tell me how they were scared to try before, worried about what their family would think or that they’d be ashamed if it wasn’t beautiful.” |
This is the advice she shares with her students: the creative process is for them, not their families. "It's like journal writing, it can be completely private. It's about expressing yourself however you want."
Caroline designs her projects so people can follow the steps from start to finish, but she notes, “There’s always going to be some experimentation. That’s just the nature of the mediums I use, they don’t always behave the same way. If it's a hot day or one paint is thicker than another, there’s always something unpredictable.”
Charmain Acomb Photography
While she provides guidance, she emphasises the importance of curiosity and the willingness to experiment.
“You get more out of art if you're willing to take risks. Some reactions I’ve had with materials have literally made me squeal and dance, it’s so exciting! And then you think, can I ever do that again? It’s magic.”
She adds, “It’s all about that childlike curiosity and not worrying about failure. And perhaps, that’s where the real value lies, both in art and life, finding freedom in the process and not worrying about the outcome.
