Carol Schar Exhibit open through August 31 (M-F 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Sun 12-3 p.m.)

Now on display in Brent Warner Fest Hall

Carol Schar’s work makes up large a percentage of the collected works belonging to German Village Society. One look you’ll know why – Schar’s watercolor is like a photographic record of the Village, capturing each brick.

Schar has lived in German Village for 25 years.  As she walks through the Village, she says, “I get lost in the moment seeing the shadows, light, colors, striking vignettes and abstract compositions.”

Schar uses the camera as her tool to capture the moment.

“I perceive life in light and color and walk through the changing moments viewing the world in waves of feeling–luminous, juxtaposed, vibrant, intense, exciting, and ethereal,” she said.

“Watercolor is a challenging and exciting media with little room for error. I want my paintings to be fresh and alive so the viewer can feel the energy,” she said.  “Watercolor is a fast media and it gives me direct access to my feelings.  My perception of light and color produces Impressionistic style paintings. I especially enjoy putting the color combinations together to produce scintillation, making the painting dance.”

Schar has been capturing not just the Village, but Ohio’s countryside, New York’s city scape and the settings of Eastern and Western Europe since she got her first 35 mm camera in 1974. Black and white photography has influenced her artistic expression greatly, because the important distinction in black and white photography is that light creates the image, not color. Black and white photography is “painting with light .”

“Even though my paint brush and camera have taken me through exciting areas of the world, I love being home in German Village listening to the St. Mary’s church bells in the morning, experiencing the beautiful flower gardens on my walks, and the tree-lined brick streets dappled with sunshine,” Schar said. “My art is what I see and I hope you enjoy my perceptions as well as the impressions I create.”

Schar was born in Norfolk, Va, and was raised in Wooster, Ohio.  Her very first art experience was in her home in Wooster.  Her brother had a paper route and the papers were wrapped in large pieces of newsprint, which she sprawled all over the floor to create endless drawings.    In high school she won various countywide awards for her drawings. After leaving high school she went to school in Evanston, Illinois where she had her first art training.  After leaving Evanston she married and moved to Ashland, Ohio and started a family.  After her husband graduated from Ashland College in 1969 they moved to Columbus, Ohio, with their 3 daughters.  She once again started training in art at Columbus College of Art and Design. When attending CCAD, she met her mentor, Leland McClelland. He said, “Once you start watercolor, you won’t want to stop.  It is addictive”.  His training was invaluable and she remembers him and his advice every time she paints.  The two became lifelong friends and he introduced her to other watercolorists and sponsored her for the Central Ohio Water Color Society.

Carol also studied photography at OSU.  Black and white photography became her new art form, winning many awards.  Eventually this led to a 27-year profession as the photographer for the Columbus Division of Fire.  While there she managed the lab and other photographers, worked in Public Relations and Arson. Many of her drawings of fire scenes were on billboards for Fire Prevention Week.  During this period of time she taught the arson investigators “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” to increase their awareness.  She received the Mayors Award for this endeavor.  In 1988 she graduated from Capital University where her senior project was teaching “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.”  One project was to teach a stroke victim using the right brain approach, allowing him to communicate in a meaningful way.

While living at Muirfield in Dublin, she painted the golf course and portraits of Jack Nicholas, which he signed and his portrait is hanging in Country Club.

She has three daughters: Audrey, Heather and Laurel.

Carol moved  to German Village in 1987.  She participated in the Haus and Garten Tour where she has won many awards.  She also participated in many shows and events and volunteered as the photographer for the Oktoberfest for many years.  She compiled a mix of her German Village paintings to create a poster of German Village and also produced paintings of Lindey’s Courtyard and the infamous “Starving Artist” menu cover.

Carol traveled to France and Greece with a group of watercolorists to paint.

As a result she had a show at the OSU Faculty Club of her French paintings with two other artists.

Her art is currently at Caterina Ltd. in German Village.