C. Carey Cloud » Paintings » Realism in Depth

      Can you imagine looking out your window each day over a vast panorama of hazy hills and green valleys; out over the little village of Nashville, Brown County, Indiana, just one mile away. This is the view artist C. Carey Cloud has from his story book type log cabin studio nestled among tall oak trees above the valley.

      Here, Mr. Cloud patiently paints his minutely detailed pictures, which he calls REALISM IN DEPTH. His nostalgic paintings of Americana posses an air of peace and calmness so rare for these harried times.

      Mr. Cloud explores his subjects in near-microscopic detail. He breathes humanity in seemingly unimportant detail and makes his subjects come alive. He has the rare ability to raise humble scenes to heights of grandeur. He approaches his subjects in an extremely personal way; he thoroughly explores everything that enters his pictures, whether it's a broken weed or a bent and rusty nail. He paints a feeling of dimension in weather-sculpted old wood. This ability was probably acquired through his talent from wood carving which he has abandoned for his painting.

      C. Carey Cloud is identified with no school of painting. He is self-taught. He pays little attention to the "isms" in art or the popular forms and accepted concepts; he paints entirely to please himself and has found the public receptive to his way.

      Cloud's work is meticulous. His precise detail and his method of working means production is slow, therefore quite limited compared to the more expeditious methods of painting. His paints might well be classed as collectors art and museum pieces.

Dr. Karl Bookwalter
Indiana University