Adventures In Art

For six decades, adventurous Norfolk artist Shirley Carnt has exhibited all over the world but painting isn’t her only passion.

ARTIST SHIRLEY Carnt is a whirlwind, with an energy and zest life to envy.

Her atmospheric oil paintings are exhibited and held in collections all around the world and she has led the most extraordinary life, mixing with the rich and famous and the Ame political elite.

Shirley has travelled the globe – recently joining a crew to sail a four mast schooner the way up the coast of the West Indies, was pioneering female racing driver in the 1960 has broken records with her fly fishing expertise.

But it is here in Norfolk, in her glass-fro studio on the edge of the marshes in Thorn with the beach stretching out before her, th is most at home. It is also where she is currently holding her latest exhibition.

“I always know when I have done a good painting, I call them my soul paintings. Similarly I always know when it is forced and no matter how much I try, it will never quite be right.

“I remember one day I had been fiddling a in my studio all day and couldn’t get going I decided to take the dog for a walk. Suddenly there was this beautiful low winter’s light it lit up the snow on the ground, it was mag I ran back and started painting. That was definitely a soul painting,” she says.