Carol Stair

I am a self-taught artist who realized a love for watercolor later in life (meaning, too late to take regular classes!) I’ve been working on getting better since then, and perhaps when I am older I might achieve what I am attempting to create. Prior to discovering art, I studied as a linguist. I have a BA degree in French and have also studied German, Russian, Italian and Latin. As a day job, I am a “recovering attorney” (meaning recovering from having worked as an attorney) and work for an insurance company as a claims manager. I was a construction litigator for many years and since then have worked as a regional manager of a claims group that helps architects and engineers with professional liability claims.

My other love in life is travel. My favorite way to spend time other than painting is traveling to interesting places in the world to take pictures that might make good paintings when I return home, as well as eating the foods and drinking the wines of whichever country I find myself in. I also jumped on the pandemic “breadmaking” wagon, and learned to make my own San Francisco sourdough, bagels, focaccia and multigrain bread.

If you’ve never tried to paint, I recommend it as the best form of meditation I have ever found. Sitting cross-legged and saying “OM” with my eyes closed has never turned off the worries of life. However, put a paintbrush in my hand and I’ll be happily gone for hours!