Artist’s Statement:   I simply drive around until a scene or view strikes me.   It could be a tree, an old barn, a running broook.  My mobile studio -- a '95 minivan where I use the steering wheel as my easel - takes me places inaccessible to even the most diehard plein-air painters.  I paint in the snow, rain or hail and am never discouraged by the elements.  I work quickly, capturing the moment, with strokes that are applied with confidence.  I prefer fresh and bold strokes and use colors that are often extreme, brilliant, sometimes surreal.  The colors are strong and intense without being unrealistic.

Artist Biography:  Carlton has always been an artist, pursuing his talent in an unconventional way since childhood. He was born in Mexico City in 1954 and grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art.  In 1978, Carlton enlisted in the army, serving as a helicopter pilot. During his military career, he was stationed at various bases around the world. He painted as a way to record his personal experiences.  Carlton's work today often reflects the images and people he encountered in his travels over the years -- a provocative, unconscious synthesis of disparate characters and themes that is best described as a combination of realism and high-energy expressionism. His style is inspired by the work of Winslow Homer and George Bellows. In each of his paintings, Carlton strives to adhere to a creative philosophy based on four elements: color, light, emotion and energy, with the emphasis on bold intense color and action.  Carlton and his wife Ann currently live in the Finger Lakes area of New York. He is now devoted to his career as an artist, working in oil, watercolor, and mixed media. His paintings have been exhibited in shows throughout the country.

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