Candle Lit

Candle Lit
24"x24"
Light in darkness. Safe harbor after a twilit forest. Circle of friends when you need them most. Thank you so much to everyone who has reached out to me after the death of my dad. You all are truly a light in a dark wood.

Out of My Hands

Out of My Hands

Another attempt at letting go of things I have no control over...

Hold Tight

Hold Tight

 

 

 

If you painted God, what would He or She look like?

Letting Go

Letting Go

 

When I painted this, I stopped worrying about an especially large and troublesome bill. Somehow painting my prayers hits me on a much deeper level.

Good Hands

Good Hands
14"x8"
I started compulsively worrying about someone I love, so I painted putting her into God's hands. Without realizing it, the anxiety lifted, and I felt so light. 

Beach Embrace

Beach Embrace
20"x16"

I could spend all my time painting embraces. There I am in a darkened studio, light focused on the panel on my easel, and as I paint the couple entwined, I can feel the arms around me.

Crossroads #5

Crossroads #5
20"x30"

This is based on a trail at Patrick's Point. I was hiking with family, and when I paused at a fork in the trail, they all exclaimed, "It's a Carol Aust painting!" Art and life intertwine. Themes reoccur again and again. We all have our turning points. Everyone on that hike had decisions to make. The job of an artist is to make story of random events, to put them all together and say that our lives have meaning and poetry.

Headlights

Headlights
24"x45

This painting went through many evolutions--a dinner party, kids playing crack-the-whip, a big group approaching a car. In the end, I had to paint my happiest moment, the end of a trip, knowing I made it, and being greeted by a tight embrace.

Sign

Sign
24"x60"

The debate at my house is what the sign should say. I tried various captions but then decides to leave it blank. Any suggestions?

Visual Prayers

Beach Kiss
10"x12"

When I miss my kids, I do paintings like this. I think they kind of become visual prayers, yearnings I can't put into words.

Whispers
14"x8"

That intimacy of a whisper, skin brushing your cheek, a quiet sharing that results in a knowing nod, a touch.