Harlan Toole was born in Mobile, Alabama, and currently lives in Lenoir, North Carolina. In 2007, she received her BFA from the Department of Art at Appalachian State University.
Of her work, the artist says, “My work is representational but it is not completely realistic. Since I base my imagery on memory and experience, my work is not photo realistic. In my latest works, I aspire to seduce the viewer to experience a particular mood or feeling and I want to continue experimenting with this idea in my future works. Technique is extremely important to accomplish my desired quality but ultimately concept is the basis of all of my paintings.” The artist’s childhood in Alabama and her relationship with water continues to shape her work. She says, “…I have an obsession with water, specifically the Gulf of Mexico. Biologically, we all are connected to the water because of the similarities between the ocean and the human body such as solidity or composition and salinity. For instance, the human body is composed mostly of water and our blood’s saline content is nearly identical to the oceans’. The body also contains DNA identical to the very first living organism, blue – green algae, which is found in the ocean. My spiritual connection is somewhat deeper. The water interests me because of the qualities it possesses such as refraction and distortion of objects and color due to light and depth and the clarification of sound. Each of these components instills a tranquility inside of me that is almost unexplainable. Ultimately, my memories of the water are what inspire me to paint.”
