About Carolyn

As a native Oregonian, artist Carolyn Lehl was inspired by her surroundings and knew at a young age she wanted to be an artist. Following her passion she graduated with honors from Portland State University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Painting. Her business Johnson-Bell Art NW is an excellent representation of her artistry and love for the Pacific Northwest.

Carolyn has kept her love of nature with her as she continues to do fine art in her intimate backyard studio where she has spent countless hours perfecting her skills in acrylic and colored pencil work by painting garden landscapes and drawing close-ups of flowers. Her background in science has helped to sharpen her eye for detail and affords her work the type of accuracy that brings the viewer a sense of being truly present with the subject.

The Turtle Series that began in 1991 lasting 13 years, shows vibrant colors that are true to life. Each one of her beautiful colored pencil still life drawings of the Turtle Series, tells a different story about her life’s events and expresses her desire to capture the light and shadow of individual objects as seen through her eyes.

Carolyn continually expands her artistry and now offers faux finishing to include old world textures and new kinds of finishes for furniture and walls. Her artful creations together with new finishes lend themselves beautifully to making the “old and drab” new and wonderful again.

Devoting her time to working part time, raising two daughters and pursuing her art for 23 years, in 1997 she began painting full-time and concentrated on murals to support herself and her girls. Creative growth continued and she kept up her own art in the form of landscape paintings, collages and her original designs in embroidery.

Carolyn states, “Being out on my own for nearly a decade gave me the chance to find out who I really am and to get in touch with my spiritual side. It also gave me a new and much deeper appreciation for single parents and how hard they work! My years raising kids taught me so much about what it means to be human and what a gift our lives really are."

Living just outside of Portland, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, creative cooking and continues to expand her artistic skills with workshops and classes in the decorative arts. When asked, what makes you the happiest? Carolyn replied, “I love making people happy with my creative gifts."

 

 

• Scholarship for painting course, School of Arts & Crafts Society of Oregon, 1970
• Portland Community College, 1976 - 1978
• Drawing workshop, Museum Art School, Portland, 1979
• Graduated from Portland State University, B.S. Degree with Honors, 1983
• Ongoing decorative finishes workshops which maintain my level of efficiency in the field

 

• Craftsmanship Award in Woodworking, 1975
• Milwaukie Daze Art Show, "Best of Category", 1993
• North Clackamas Arts Guild, "Mary Lou Rivera Special Award" 1997
  N.C.A.G. "Mayor's Choice Award", 1998
• “Second Place” North Clackamas Arts Guild’1999
• “Best of Show”, “Best of Division”, “First Place” and “People’s Choice Award” and the “Winsor & Newton Painting Award Gladstone Art Guild 28th Annual Art Show 2000
• Second Prize” N.C.A.G. 2000

• Oregon Art Beat 2005 Art Calendar, painting of “Greg in the Rosebushes” featured painting for the month of May.
• Portland Open Studios 2005-6 Art Calendar: Colored pencil drawing entitled “Encountering the Best” chosen for use on the page for March of 2006.

• Commissioned to draw the cover design for a brochure by the Contemporary Crafts Gallery in Portland, OR, Jan. 1988
• Commissioned to paint a large mural in the Harvest Community Church in Camas, Washington, 1993
• Commissioned to Faux Paint nine operatories and public waiting area in Gentle Dental, downtown Portland, OR, 1995
• Commissioned to repaint selected areas of faux marble at The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland, OR, 1998
• KOIN Tower (Fountain Plaza residence), Portland, OR; 1997 Mural paintings Published in the Homes & Gardens section of the Oregonian, 1998
• Timber Rose (private estate), Tualatin, OR; Spring 2000 Murals in four entire rooms
• Commissioned to paint a mural in the main entrance lobby of City Hall in the City of Fairview, 2001
• Designed and painted logs on the walls in the Oregon Room in Ronald McDonald House in NE Portland, 2001
• Painted Wine Cellar and Stage Coach Room in winning show home in the 2004 “Street of Dreams” at Hidden Lake Lodge in Oregon City.