Carolyn Kleinberger

Carrie is co-founder of Minnesota Realists, a local organization supporting artists trained in realism. Originally self-taught in charcoal with an emphasis on still lifes, Carrie spent years developing her style. She was particularly interested in capturing the light and shadows emanating from crystal and fine glass. As she expanded her medium to include oils and mixed media, Carrie was drawn to seek professional training.

In 2001 Carrie retired from a 21 year career as a public defender for Juvenile and Family Court in Ramsey and Washington Counties. With encouragement from her family, she began to pursue her love of painting and drawing. But, it was not until 2008 that she began formal training at the Edina Art School. In 2009 she applied to The Atelier in Minneapolis and spent four years of rigorous training in the Atelier method of realism under the direction of Cyd Wicker and Dale Redpath.

An “imaginative realist,” she works in oil on canvas and on wood panels. Her work includes figure drawings, portraits, still lifes, landscapes, seascapes and florals. Her artwork is influenced and inspired by her travels and the people she has met, her interest in differing religious beliefs, her desire to capture the movement, beauty, and light in water and glass, and now the beauty of florals.

Carrie’s commissioned works include portraits, pet portraits, farm houses and historical buildings. Some of Carrie’s most prominent series of works, include The Ten Plagues, Strong Women in the Bible, and Water and Sand: Forging a Nation. She has participated in over 40 juried and non-juried art exhibition events. Carrie is passionate about sharing her art with others in various forums.

Her studio is located in St. Paul, Minnesota and her work appears regularly in exhibitions.