Originally from Chagrin Falls, Ohio; Carolyn McFann began her pursuit of art and nature ever since she could hold a pencil. She learned about animals in detail from her parents, her father - a talented architect/artist and her mother - a creative and artistic Montessori teacher. The family had always sought detailed knowledge of animals, plants and of the natural world in general.
Carolyn painted the mural on the floor of this solarium at Laurel, then did the magazine cover showing it too.
As a little girl, Carolyn learned how to draw and shade her drawings from her father, William McFann. He taught her using architects' tools of the time, markers and Rapidograph technical pens. A former Naval photographer, her dad was well versed in form, function, composition and color. He taught her advanced drawing and she stuck with his teachings as she went on to learn other media in depth, such as oils, acrylics, colored pencils and inks (among others). Throughout her young life, Carolyn was eagerly enrolled in courses to refine her skills from a variety of sources from the Cleveland Museum of Art, individual tutors, the Chagrin Valley Art Center and others.
The Art School at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York
Laurel School
High school at Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio found Carolyn deep into her art, taking Advanced Placement Color courses from Miami University along with a full summer course at Carnegie-Mellon University Summer Program. She was the Art Editor of school publications and the Yearbook, and went on to college at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York to pursue Illustration.
After college, Carolyn took on freelancing doing signs, posters and fine artwork for radio stations, nightclubs, restaurants, other businesses and private individuals. To learn business skills, she worked as a temporary employee doing accounting and filing jobs, since business and computer knowledge wasn't taught to her in art school. She learned computer skills in time, slowly building on prior knowledge and taking courses at the Cleveland Institute of Art and other schools when she could, for extra knowledge. Carolyn also spent time at pet shows around the country, getting to know breeders and animals in depth. Carolyn doing various signs and posters for different businesses.
Carolyn in Playa del Carmen and Cancun, Mexico. Two Purring Cats Clothing & Gifts http://www.zazzle.com/twopurringcats
To gain deeper knowledge in tropical nature, Carolyn temporarily lived near Cancun, Mexico. She spent most of her time learning local nature on her own, drawing the insects, birds and creatures she encountered while there. She spent time snorkeling to know the underwater reef creatures and created artwork for a well-known nature park, Parque Archeoecologico de XCaret in Playa del Carmen, where she got to interact with their many zoo animals as she drew them. As finances allowed, she did more traveling to other countries as well, including Jamaica, England, Wales, Canada and others, always studying the nature of each place in depth as well as photographing it.
Through many years of trial and error, feast and famine, she grew her business to where it is today. Carolyn has been interviewed by the media from television to newspapers and magazines, to name a few.
An Elegant Affair (wedding store) http://www.zazzle.com/carolynmcfann
TPC Cards (greeting cards) http://www.zazzle.com/tpccards
TPC Shoes (shoes) http://www.zazzle.com/tpcshoes
