Carol Kent

Dates: Oct. 30th - Dec. 17th

Theme: A visual journey through the innocence of childhood and the quiet wisdom of nature – where real moments and dreamlike visions intertwine to speak of beauty, memory and the fragility of our world.

In Roots and Reverie, I explore the delicate balance between the tangible and the imagined – where there real world of children at play meets the quiet poetry of dreams and memory.

As a self-taught artist from Bloomfield, New Brunswick, I began my artistic journey by capturing the loyal expressions of beloved pets. Over time, I became deeply moved by the emotional honesty found in childhood – their joy, their wonder, their ability to be fully present. This led me to paint children immersed in nature: among sunflowers, at the edge of the sea, beneath soft forest light. These grounded, realistic images form the “roots” of my work – moments of simplicity and connection.

But just as childhood often blurs into daydream, my work began to shift – moving toward more introspective ethereal scenes. In these pieces, children appear as symbols of peace, guardians of nature, or gentle souls in a world imagined more kindly than our own. These are the “reveries” – casual meditations on innocence, hope and the fragile beauty of our planet.

Together, these works invite viewers to pause – to feel the soil beneath their feet, the warmth of sun on skin, rain in their hair, and the stirrings of compassion that live in both memory and imagination. Roots and Reverie is a call to protect what is sacred, to dream of what could be, and to remember the world through a child’s eyes – with tenderness, with awe and with hope.

Carol Kent is a self-taught pastel artist based in the picturesque community of Bloomfield, New Brunswick. Though she began painting just five years ago, her commitment to realism and emotional depth has already earned her international recognition.

Carol’s artistic journey began with detailed pet portraits and depictions of wildlife, but quickly expanded as her skills deepened. She found herself drawn to the magic of childhood and the quiet beauty of the natural world, capturing fleeting moments of innocence and emotional truth with sensitivity and care.

More recently, her work has taken on a dreamlike, introspective quality – often depicting children in symbolic, ethereal scenes that speak to her deep concern for the planet. These imaginative pieces evoke both longing and hope offering a vision of a world rooted in peace, empathy, and connection.

Carol’s work has been featured in the Divine Studios Dream Exhibit, the John B. Aird Online Exhibition, and the Saint John Art Gallery. She is a multi-time recipient of Artistic Awards from Art and Color 360 Magazine, and her pastel pieces are held in private collections around the world. She has recently written and illustrated a non-fiction children’s book called Hamburger and French Flies-A Barn Swallow’s Story, which has also won international literary awards.