Caroline Zimmermann

"I paint to live, and I live to paint.”

Caroline began painting in oils at the age of six, nurtured by creative parents. After graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Caroline was achieved her Master of Fine Art from the California College of the Arts in Oakland.  It was in Laguna Beach that Caroline began surfing as a teenager. Before long she was considered one of the most notable female surfers in California. Seeking to broaden her horizons, she set out for surfing destinations around the world. This introduced her to an opportunity to paint exotic locales such as Bali, Fiji, Tahiti, South Africa, Barbados, the Maldives and El Salvador, among others. Surfing was a passport to travel, and with time, her painting sustained her lifestyle.

In the mid-nineties Caroline was drawn to more terrestrial inspirations: those of Tuscany and Provence. The tremendous response to these paintings encouraged her to return and discover the variations in color, light and atmosphere of all four seasons.

Evident in her works is the mastery of diverse oil painting techniques which reflect life-long years of experimentation, study, and observation. In her smaller still life and en plein air sketches, she revels in spontaneous a la prima paint application. Time consuming studio pieces are thoughtfully created with numerous paint layers and glazes applied onto linen. The resulting paintings vary with surfaces ranging from the deeply transparent to creamy opaque; all celebrating her love for her medium, oil painting. In her richly painted compositions, shadows and vibrant colors create deep impressions evoking memories among those familiar with these settings.

“For 48 years I have been painting in oils. My painting process has always served as a way of physically communicating the memories of my life’s experiences and my travels. I begin the creative process by experiencing life.”

Caroline divides her time between her home in Laguna Beach and Tuscany, and a few months every year are still spent traveling the world, gathering images and life experiences.