Caroline Zimmermann

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

Caroline began painting in oils at the age of six, encouraged by her creative parents. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cal State Fullerton, she went on to achieve a Master of Fine Arts from the California College of the Arts in Oakland. While growing up in Laguna Beach, Caroline developed a passion for surfing and became one of California's most notable female surfers. Her love for the sport took her to surfing destinations worldwide, including Bali, Fiji, Tahiti, South Africa, Barbados, the Maldives, and El Salvador, where she found inspiration for her paintings. Surfing became a passport for her travels, and over time, painting sustained her lifestyle.

In the mid-nineties, Caroline shifted her focus to more terrestrial subjects, drawn to the beauty of Tuscany and Provence. The overwhelming response to these paintings inspired her to return and explore the shifting colors, light, and atmosphere through all four seasons.

Her work reflects a mastery of diverse oil painting techniques developed over years of experimentation, study, and observation. In her smaller still lifes and en plein air sketches, Caroline revels in the spontaneity of a la prima paint application. Larger studio pieces are created through meticulous layering and glazing on linen, resulting in a range of textures from deeply transparent to creamy opaque. Each composition celebrates her passion for the medium and evokes memories in those familiar with her subjects through vibrant colors and deep shadows.

“For 48 years, my painting process has served as a way of physically communicating the memories of my life’s experiences and travels. I begin the creative process by experiencing life,” says Caroline.

Now, Caroline divides her time between Laguna Beach and Tuscany, still spending several months each year traveling the world, gathering new images and life experiences for her art.