Canadian Contemporary Artist

Carenie Little is a Canadian contemporary artist living near Sudbury, Ontario.

She is inspired by living in the bush and frequent trips into and around Killarney and Algonquin Parks.

Although Carenie paints mostly in acrylic, she incorporates collage techniques, using layers of fabric as background and texture.

Semi abstract paintings of women and children express her love of people.

Carenie's love of painting is only superseded by her love of drawing and sketching.

She has illustrated pen and ink pictures for a children's book called "The Enchanted Christmas".
Each of the Pen and Ink drawings took hours of time, but the outcome was well worth the effort.

As a Sudbury based artist, painter and illustrator, Carenie shows her passion for her subjects in each of her works.

She is well known as an imaginative painter.
She has exhibited and won awards throughout Northern Ontario.
Her work hangs in Perivale Gallery on Manitoulin Island, the Sudbury Art Gallery, and the Backstreet Gallery in Noelville. Her paintings also hang in private homes in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and the Maritimes.

Carenie is constantly inspired by the nature of her work.

Acrylic Painting is faster drying and easier to play with as Carenie pulls out characters in her paintings using transparent fabrics to create under and overlays.

People that inspire her are often friends, family, or just exciting, imaginative people.
As a contemporary painter she is often inspired by costumes or outfits that people wear.

Born and raised in Montreal, Carenie was part of the 60's culture where there were a lot of artists, painters, songwriters, singers, and actors, just starting out and easily available to hear in the smaller Clubs around Montreal.

Carenie and her family moved to Sudbury and Carenie went to Cambrian college, graduating in Fine Arts.

Painting was her major, but she loved pottery, so some of her talent was directed into sculptures.
Predominantly a painter, Carenie still loves to play in clay when the opportunity arises, but collage, drawing, illustrating, and finding her imagination in her canvases and paper is where she loves to exist.

The conundrum in Carenie's life is that she paints alone yet is gregarious and the people in her life are often her subjects.

Her personal style, through the layering of translucent paint and sheer fabric as collage, invites feminist introspection—an emotional delving through layers both real and imagined.

An alternate style, which she calls "My Alter Ego," employs humor to depict feminist plights, and invites a deeper introspection, rendered more challenging by the in-your-face fantasy element.

Sheila McMullan of Perivale Gallery on Manitoulin Island, along with acclaimed artist Ivan Wheale, accepted two pieces in her "Alter Ego" series for a juried Art show.

Sheila displays her works annually, along with those of Ivan Wheale and others. She has acquired three of Carenie's paintings for her personal collection.

One of her most influential mentors is Brian Ateyo, a highly respected artist currently displaying works at Harbor Gallery in Toronto.

Brian has praised her unique portrayal and interpretation of human emotion.

He writes: "You are truly one of the 'ONES' . . . your reasoning and analysis is bang on."