Carol Roark.

Studio Origin Mississippi, United States

Primary Discipline Painting

Focus Area Southern Landscape and Equine Fine Art

Institution Status Founding Artist

Curated Since 2026

Southern fine artist Carol Roark smiling at her plein air easel while painting outdoors in the Mississippi Delta, a featured artist on Mitsooz and The Curation.

The Origin - Artists Journey

Carol Roark is a Mississippi-based artist whose work is deeply rooted in the Southern landscape, light, and atmosphere. An avid equestrian, her artistic journey began with equine portraiture and illustration, including work for The Chronicle of the Horse and the Dixie National Quarter Horse Show, where she served as official artist for ten years.

Over time, Roark’s practice expanded beyond the horse to the land itself. After years of studying under acclaimed Mississippi artist Sammy Britt and immersing herself in the Henry Hensche colorist method, she developed a style centered on color, light, and the quiet richness of the South.

Today, Carol creates and teaches from Roark Studios in Mississippi, where she continues to share her perspective through both her paintings and workshops. She is also a founding member of the Mississippi Plein Air Painters.

Studio Dialogue.

"Between the sun reflecting off a horse’s back and the long shadows of the Delta horizon, my work is a transportive bridge to the hidden, magical corners of the South."

Artist Carol Roark, a featured maker at Mitsooz, captured during her plein air painting process on a wooden boardwalk. She is documenting the fleeting light and atmospheric vibration of a Southern cypress swamp, translating the raw energy of the environment into fine art for her collection.

The Resonance.

When engaging with Carol’s work, viewers are invited into a sense of stillness, presence, and reflection. Her paintings are designed to evoke atmosphere and memory, offering moments that feel both familiar and transportive.

Through this quiet visual language, Carol creates work that lingers, encouraging a deeper connection to place, movement, and the emotional weight of a single moment.

Carol Roark's artistic intention is captured as she paints plein air on a wooden boardwalk. As a Mitsooz featured artist, her goal is to document the atmospheric vibration and heavy light of the Southern landscape in real-time.

The Intention.

Carol’s work is an invitation to slow down and notice what is often overlooked. Through shifting light, layered color, and subtle atmosphere, she captures the quiet character of the Mississippi Delta and the enduring beauty found in its rural landscapes.

Whether painting land, horses, or family, her work is guided by a deep sensitivity to place, memory, and the transformative power of light.

Artist Carol Roark, a featured maker for the Mitsooz collective, captured while painting plein air among the coastal sand dunes. This candid moment highlights her ability to master the bright, high-key light of the shoreline, creating a deep emotional resonance between the collector and the serene beauty of the coast.

The Process.

Carol splits her time between her studio practice and painting en plein air, allowing direct engagement with the landscape to guide each work. Surrounded by open fields, shifting light, and living subject matter, she draws continuously from her immediate environment.

When light and form align, she feels compelled to paint. From her home-based studio, she manages a full creative practice, developing, presenting, and delivering original works. This steady rhythm of observation keeps her work grounded in the lived reality of the Southern landscape.

The Details.

The Technical Bio.

Carol Roark is a professional artist with over thirty years of experience in production and instruction. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mississippi State University and has studied extensively under master colorist Sammy Britt. Carol is a founding member of the Mississippi Plein Air Painters and has served as the President of the Memphis Germantown Art League. She has also served as the Executive Director of the Charleston Arts and Revitalization Effort. Her work has been featured in publications such as Southern Lady and Delta Magazine, and she has collaborated as an artist for HGTV’s Hometown.

The Craft & Materiality.

Carol utilizes oils to master the colorist techniques she studied for over a decade. Her craft is defined by the hierarchy of shape and design, using color to build depth and atmospheric weight. Every stroke is a deliberate choice made to mimic the natural luminosity she finds in the outdoors. She treats her medium as a tool to capture the light and color she is so fascinated by in the rural South.

The Accolades.

Selected Exhibitions

2026

Juried Member Exhibition, Salmagundi Club – New York, NY
NOAPS Best of America Small Works Juried Exhibition, Anderson Fine Art Gallery – St. Simons Island, GA
Strength and Serenity (Solo Show), Patrick Lawton Gallery – Germantown, TN

2025

In The Making, Wright Gallery, Delta State University – Cleveland, MS
Hoof Beats (Solo Show), City Grocery – Oxford, MS
The Southern Group Show, 812 Royal Gallery – New Orleans, LA
Plein Air Dauphin Island, Dauphin Island Gallery – Dauphin Island, AL

2024

Mississippi Oil Painters Association Fall Showcase – Jackson, MS
NOAPS Associate Member Juried Online Exhibit
NOAPS National Small Works Juried Show, Sugarman Peterson Gallery – Santa Fe, NM

2023

An Italian Perspective (Solo Show), CARE Art Center – Charleston, MS
Mississippi Oil Painters Association Annual Show, Jackson Street Gallery – Ridgeland, MS
Mississippi Presenters Network “Artists of the Next 50 Years”

2022

Mississippi Muse (Solo Show), Pacesetter Gallery – Flowood, MS
Solo Show, Gumtree Museum – Tupelo, MS
MGAL Star Artist Juried Exhibition – Memphis, TN
NOAPS National Small Works Juried Show, Beverly McNeil Gallery – Birmingham, AL
NOAPS Best of America Juried Show, Wilcox Gallery – Jackson Hole, WY

Awards & Honors

Winner, Best Body of Work – 2024 Dauphin Island Plein Air
Artist Choice Winner – MOPA Fall Showcase, Jackson, MS
Best In Show – 2021 Memphis Botanic Garden Plein Air Exhibition
1st Runner Up, Best Body of Work – 2023 Dauphin Island Plein Air
First Place Painting – “Art of the Hunt,” Charleston Arts Center
First Place 2D – Cotton District Festival Juried Art Show, Starkville, MS
First Place Painting – Oxford Art Guild Big Bad Art Show (2019)
Best of Show – Oxford Art Guild Big Bad Art Show (2018)
CSA Artist Award – Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Oxford, MS

Corporate Collections

Community Bank of Mississippi
Jerry’s Artarama
University Medical Center

Professional Affiliations

Oil Painters of America (OPA)
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS)
American Impressionist Society (AIS)
American Academy of Equine Art
Mississippi Plein Air Painters (Founding Member)
Memphis Germantown Art League (Past President)

Gallery Representation

Treehouse Gallery – Oxford, MS
Caron Gallery South – Laurel, MS
Pacesetter Gallery – Flowood, MS

The Artist's Secret (Unseen Fact).

The secret to Carol’s work is her training in the Hensche colorist method under Sammy Britt. This specific way of seeing color and light key allows her to interpret the landscape unlike anyone else. While her subjects are often horses and Delta sloughs, the true subject is the light itself. This technical foundation allows her to translate a dusty field into a vibrant mosaic of color and temperature.

Works for Acquisition.

Carol Roark

Studio Narrative & Mentions.

Additional Narratives.

The Curation is currently empty.

The Curation.