About the Artist

Caroline Reid is a contemporary landscape artist who lives and works in Canberra, on Ngunnawal country, Australia - a rugged semi-alpine area hemmed in by mountain ranges to the west and east, and the Snowy Mountains to the south. Although a practising artist all her life, her career in science and industry policy left little time for a professional art career until she experienced career burnout. She turned to plein air painting at first as a means to recover physically and psychologically from an intensity of care for the natural world that left her overwhelmed with grief. This grief slowly healed as she let the life force in nature heal and refill her spirit.

 

Caroline is most passionate about painting the Snowy Mountains, Kosciusko National Park and the wilderness areas of the Namadji National Park near her home. The flow of water as a life-giving resource is a source of understanding of the landscapes she paints.  She has invested countless hours training with master artists such as master pastelliste Marla Baggetta and developing her skills through countess hours at workshops and at the easel.

 

Her art is now in a number of private collections. She has received numerous art awards including the 2022 USA Boldbrush Abstract Painting Award. Her art has been shown in many solo and group exhibitions.  Caroline was a partner artist at Bungendore Fine Art Gallery but now operates out of her home studio and gallery in Canberra.  (You’ll find a more detailed listing below.)

 

Caroline has completed artist in residence positions at Venezia Contemporaine in Venice in October 2022,  Chateau Orquevaux residency in France in May 2023, a 6-week residency at Eutopia in Kavala, Greece, in September 2024 and is planning a month-long residency at Studio Ou on Vancouver Island in September 2025.

 

Caroline conducts solo exhibitions at least once a year and exhibited her Venice residency paintings at the Brick Lane Gallery, London,  in June 2023.

 

Caroline offers one-on-one private tuition in soft pastel techniques, soft pastel masterclasses and is on the teaching faculty of Nature Art Lab in Canberra.

 

In 2026, Caroline won a Commendation for judge Scott Gellatly at Capital Plein Air. Caroline was a winner in the 2024 Artavita online competition SEE HERE and was a finalist in the 13th ‘All Women’ show at Light Space Time Gallery

 

She has recently been long-form interviewed for a glossy art magazine article here: and has been interviewed on Australian radio arts programs several times.

Caroline has recently been featured in Contemporary Art Curator Magazine. https://www.contemporaryartcuratormagazine.com/online-exhibition-parallel-worlds/caroline-reid

 

Caroline is a Mastrius Art Mentor: Caroline Reid Mentorship MG1043 | Mastrius

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artist Statement

HOMELAND LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS

My love of the semi-alpine region surrounding my home, where I ramble with my three dogs - sometimes even painting out of doors when the weather permits - infuses my paintings with respect, wonder and reverence for our earth. I love the gathering clouds on the Brindabellas and the summer storm cells. The ice on th grass on a frosty morning glitters like diamonds. And the earth heals me in the process. I paint to bring those feelings, sensations and healing energy of the natural world into your home. I hope I paint my world with child-like unjudgmental joy.

 

 

 

 

MY ART BEGINNING

It all started with ants! At the age of four or five, I clearly remember lying on my belly in hot sandy Western Australian dirt in the bush up the hill on our property. I was watching with utter fascination and wonder hundreds of red bull ants scurrying around with great determination and concentration working on their underground city.

 

I watched as worker couples met and gesticulated mysteriously with their stick-like legs, others labouring down tunnels carrying twigs and leaf bits in their mouths. Some were lumbering up from below with massive lumps of wet dirt which I imagined they use like some kind of construction cement.

 

I remember really wanting to know what went on down below in the earth, rudely poking around with a stick to see where the holes went and feeling bad when the ants popped out angrily with concern about damage to their home. 

 

When an ant bit my big toe - if you know anything about Australian bull ants, you would understand -  I raced howling home. While Mum patched me up, I could not stop raving about the ants, and their clay cement and the mysterious workings underground.

 

Mum said 'draw it for me'. Magic…

 

So I drew a horizontal line, some wriggly tunnels, dozens of stick-like ant people, balls of dirt, eggs and baby ants curled up down the bottom in secret chambers.

Ever since, I have been fascinated with the land. Dirt and mud and water and earth make me happy. I feel at peace.

 

JOIN IN THE WONDER

You are warmly invited to follow my artistic development and to get VIP invitations and the first opportunity to view my latest paintings by email. Click here to Join My Art Community. Don’t forget to click on the link you get in the confirmation email, or you will miss out.

 

“Your artwork is so beautiful and peaceful “ - Della

 

If you would like to read my past art community emails, you can do so in my Archive.

 

PRIZES AND EXHIBITIONS

I am so pleased to have won a number of prizes and have attended many residencies.

Two works of mine are held in the Chateau Orquevaux permanent collection in France. 

Contemporary Art Curator Magazine has featured my work Here.

• 'Highly commended' - Capital Plein Air
• Brick Lane Gallery London, JUNE 2023
• First Prize, Pastel Abstract, Queanbeyan Art Society, March 2023
• Second Prize, Mixed Media Abstract, Queanbeyan Art Society, March 2023
• First prize, Boldbrush Painting Award, July 2022
• First Prize, Queanbeyan Art Society, "Anything Goes" 2022
• 'Winter' theme award - Pastel Society of Australia 2021
• First prize in pastel category - Artists Society of Canberra 2020
• First prize in pastel category - Queanbeyan Art Society October 2020
• Third prize in pastel category - Queanbeyan Art Society December 2020

I have shown my work at a number of group and solo exhibitions in local galleries: 

• "Gaia - The Origin" 2021, MADS Digital Art Gallery, Milan GROUP
• "Les Pastellistes" juried international exhibition December 2020 GROUP
• "Barely There”, Kyeema Gallery, Hall ACT November 2018 SOLO
• "Time and Space", fYRE Gallery Braidwood, October 2019 GROUP
• Queanbeyan Art Society Miniatures Exhibition, September 2020 GROUP
• QPRS Annual Exhibition, October 2020 GROUP
• Artist’s Society of Canberra Spring Exhibition 2020-2025
•  "Grounded", Helen Stephen’s Gallery, Collector, Australia, December 2020 SOLO
• "Abundance’"fYre Gallery, Braidwood, October 2021 GROUP
• 'Cloud Country', Raglan Cooma Art Gallery, November 2022
• ‘Rural and Urban Landscapes’ Brick Lane Gallery, June 2023
• ’Parallel Worlds’ Contemporary Art Curator Magazine 2023
• 'Exodus To Inland', Spain March 2024
• ‘Florism a’ solo exhibition ANCA Gallery Canberra, January 2024
• ‘Onboart’ art exhibition in the sky on Vueling Airlines, Contemporary Art Curator
• Art3F Art Fair, Monaco August 2024
• "Wild Light- Abstracts from Gwondanaland", Smiths Alternative, 26 November 2025