ARTIST BIO
John Carollo began studying Watercolor in college at the University of North Texas under the instruction of the internationally renowned artist Rob Erdle. Having initially approached the medium with a goal of producing realistic works, a summer study trip to Europe quickly cure those impulses. During the course of the journey, and continuing upon his return, John’s work took on an increasingly expressive, stylistic flair, meant to convey the mood, emotion, and essence of a scene rather than a literal interpretation of what the eyes might be recording. His loose, free-flowing style allows the water and paint to often move on its own with minor guidance, in a technique he calls Controlled Chaos. The end result showcases watercolor’s unique properties of translucency and atmospheric effect.
Since 2005, John has shown his work extensively in numerous venues in Texas, Georgia and the Central Florida area, including the CityArts Factory, Maitland Art Center, and Mount Dora Center for the Arts, as well as through collaboration with Voci modern dance John has twice been awarded prestigious United Arts of Central Florida Artist Development Grants, for his work with large-scale watercolor (over 6’) and 3D kinetic sculpture. The latter area has been a continuing source of exploration for the artist, with his work evolving from shaped paper and wire constructions to very large suspended pieces created from hand-painted silk, twisted aluminum and stainless steel. The largest of these to date at over 13’ x 16’, Icarus Ascends, was designed for expansive atrium and transit center public art spaces. In 2015, John was the Poster Artist for the 56th Annual Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. His painting, “Emily’s Light” was the signature image of the festival, used on all posters, merchandise, signage and communication items for the prestigious event.
John has also produced The Figure As Vehicle, a traveling two-person collaborative exhibition with sculptor Marsha De Broske. Containing nearly 50 works by the two artists, all featuring the human figure in various interpretations, the show portrays the body as a vehicle for conveying messages to the viewer through mood, contemplation, personal connection and understanding. Ever-changing, the project highlights both artists’ ability to capture the essence of motion in their work, and has to-date been shown six times throughout Florida and Georgia at galleries, colleges and centers for the arts. In 2024, noting how the traditional gallery model has been evolving, John established his Gallery Shop at The Mercantile in Altamonte Springs, FL.
ARTIST STATEMENT
All objects and beings are made up of constantly moving energy sources and colors. They can be afterimages of physical movement, colors generated by certain moods or situations, or atmospheres that alter the landscape as they are projected in a specific direction. I aim to capture snapshots of those energies and colors, and by so doing, illustrate that nothing in life is static. Everything is constantly moving, changing, growing, adapting. Each person, animal, plant or object contains inner zones of warmth and coolness, often unnoticed. Through the expressive style of my painting, and the use of watercolor’s unique properties of transparency and atmospheric effect, I hope to bring those areas to the surface in a manner that sparks emotional response and contemplation.