people
Caroline Wheaton
Caroline splits her time between London and Chamonix sculpting and painting, inspired by the world around her. Have a read to see what makes her tick!
You're a proud owner of the Earles. When do they most come in handy?
They’re really useful when I am stone carving or drawing, for example, as I have to constantly change perspectives to make sure I’m on the right track. At one moment, I’m close up, focusing on a particular detail and the next, I’m stepping away to look at the piece as a whole. Previously, glasses have made me feel dizzy because my eyesight isn't that terrible, whereas my ByOculars encourage my good vision while also allowing me to benefit from the lenses for close-ups.
Prior to becoming a fully fledged artist, you worked in the corporate field. Did you find it challenging balancing your 9 to 5 with your creative needs?
It was tricky but I was lucky because my daughter has always been creative so we’d often do art and craft together at the weekends. It was such a great way to de-stress from the office, especially since my 9 to 5 was more like 7 to 9! Painting and drawing are so mindful – they take up your entire being. Sculpting is even better as it’s wholly absorbing physically and mentally. The problem with trying to balance a 9 to 5 with art is that you’re only rewarded through practice. No matter how good you are, you need to spend time perfecting your craft. Having left my job has enabled me to improve and pursue art wholeheartedly.
You now live and work in the mountains. Tell us about the moment you fell in love with mountainous landscapes.
I fell in love with my husband, a mountaineer and skier, so mountains came with him! When I first saw the mountains, not only was I awestruck, I also realised how many people were in love with them. Really, it’s people that interest me and my art is a response to that wherever in the world I draw inspiration. When you give back a commission, you’re handing back a visualised memory, whether that’s the view from someone’s garden window or a sculpture of someone skiing an awesome downhill run. In this way, my fledgling art career has been unexpectedly rewarding and is reason enough to keep going!
What's your preferred media and why?
I love carving marble. Sounds a bit faux, but the sense of tradition and history that I genuinely feel every time I put a chisel into that beautiful stone is humbling. Casting…I am a big fan of pewter – an underrated metal that is “home” friendly too due to its low melting point. If I paint, then acrylic because it has the expression of oil but is easier to use. Saying that, I like to cater for many tastes so I often end up using different mediums. It usually makes for an interesting piece and means I can enjoy challenging myself too!
Instagram, love or loathe?
Learning to love. I’m not a natural but I imagine that’s largely generational. Instagram’s a great visual platform that opens up channels of conversation with a new audience My only problem is that I’m still not entirely sure how to reach that audience. I have had a few cases of people randomly getting in touch but I’d love to increase my exposure.
‘they’re most useful when I’m sculpting or drawing as I have to constantly change perspectives’
When wearing your ByOculars, who do you imagine is your celebrity doppelgänger?
Ha! Well, I’m sometimes been told that I look similar to Emma Thompson! If I really did look like her, I’d love it — that is one person I would definitely not mind being mistaken for
contact
For any enquiries please contact:
Caren, Shaun or Nigel
For PR enquiries please contact:
Todd Watkins. Preditor PR