Artist Spotlight: Meet Carol VandenBosch

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
CAROL VANDENBOSCH

Carol VandenBosch is a multi-talented artist whose creative journey spans various
mediums, including sewing, quilting, mosaics, and acrylic painting. Her artistic process
is deeply rooted in her upbringing, influenced by her rich cultural background and the
artistic pursuits of her mother.
In 2006 she became interested in mosaics and added this medium to her creative work.
Her colorful and lively mosaics include the use of a variety of glass, broken dishes and
bottles. The substrates used for her mosaics often add to the unique beauty of her
artwork.
More recently, she has been experimenting and learning about acrylic painting, using
resin, shattered glass, and cutting vase glass for her art projects. This has opened
whole new opportunities for her exploration of colors, textures and creativity.
Carol grew up in Winchester but was born in Margarita, Canal Zone. She lived there
until she was almost six years old and was influenced by the festivities and lively culture
she was exposed to in Panama, such as Carnival, which was similar to Mardi Gras. The
ladies in their traditional dresses, Miet piyera, costumes and parades with huge papier
mache characters stimulated her imagination as a young girl and tapped into her
curiosity about parades and colors. This foundational influence set the stage for her to
to explore various forms of artistic expression in her formative years.
Her mother had an artistic side to her and took classes in stained glass, ceramics and
china painting. She operated a ceramics studio at AEDC and was interested in sewing
and quilting. She was also a painter and notably was one of the founding members of
the FCAG/Franklin County Arts Guild. She credits her mother for influencing her own
creativity in various mediums including sewing at a young age, an experience that
introduced her to creating something from the beginning by selecting color, decorations,
buttons and trim that would complement the garment she was making.
Carol was a member of the 4-H Club in Franklin County from the age of 10 to 19 years
old. There she participated in sewing, baking, public speaking, raising chickens, forestry
judging and judging poultry. In 1962 she was awarded a trip to the National 4-H
Congress in Chicago.
When asked what inspires her to create mosaics, she says this, “When I started doing
Mosaic work in 2006, I found that to be more crafty than artistic. It was just a matter
of gluing pieces to your substrate and grouting. As I continued to do mosaics, I became
creative in the sense that I started doing patterns, creating my own patterns, using color
once again, and being a risk taker by trying things out that we're maybe not of the norm.
A book that I read on mosaics stated... that as you are on your search for materials for
your mosaics, you will also have your Keen eye looking for new things to glue things on.
Oh, how that was true! In shopping at Goodwill and yard sales, I would find frames,
chairs, tables, silver plated trays, as well as some unconventional items to put the
mosaics on. This proved to be exciting and gave me a bit more confidence in my
mosaic work. As far as my other art endeavors, the painting, the use of shattered glass,
the resin work.....all of these have been pretty cut and dried as far as being influenced
by anything.”
When asked what she hopes to communicate with her art she says, “The biggest
message in my art is recycling. So often people toss chipped dishes, chipped glasses.
They toss a lot of things. There's a lot of waste in our country. I am right there to get
those things. if they're in the dumpster, if they're at a Goodwill or if they're on the side of
the street, I  treasure my find. I am a pack rat. To take crumbles and scraps of items
that are normally thrown away and turn them into a piece of art that someone likes and
wants to buy, that is a mission accomplished!” Carol's belief in the value of turning
discarded items into art highlights her mission of reducing waste and promoting
recycling through her work.
Carol sells her work through the Artisan Depot Gallery in Cowan, TN. She also offers
mosaic classes which have been quite successful and have encouraged her students to
tap into their own creativity.
Defining success as an artist, Carol acknowledges the thrill of creating sellable work
while emphasizing that the joy derived from crafting art holds its own intrinsic value. Her story embodies a passion for creativity, sustainability, and the transformative power of art, making her an inspiring figure in her community.