Meet the Instructor - Caroline Niesley

Caroline Niesley was born in Washington, DC and has been drawing since her mother first put a pencil in her hand.  Caroline received her BFA from Moore College of Art in 1980.  She learned traditional methods and is versatile using any dry or wet medium.  Philadelphia Magazine printed an editorial cartoon by Caroline while she was working there on a credited internship.  Her humorous homage to Hogarth was accepted in the prestigious Society of Illustrators Student Show back in 1980.  Caroline had a life long love of cartoons both printed and animated.  So she was delighted when asked if she could offer a cartooning class. 

She continues to study commercial and fine art, attending the Illustration Master Class at Amherst and figure drawing with Juliette Aristides in summer of 2013.  She attends demos and sits in when permitted to learn from highly skilled instructors.  Her favorite medium is the humble pencil but she has worked in just about every medium.  In her student years she often used pen and ink and watercolor wash.  She experimented with prisma color pencils as studies for oil paintings.  She enjoys painting with alkyd oils.  She has exhibited at Society of Illustrators, Moore College of Art, Villanova University, and Montgomery Co. Community College.  Caroline worked as a freelance illustrator.  Philadelphia Magazine, PA Stage Company and TV Guide published her work.  She had the privilege of creating works of sacred art.  On October 28, 2007  “NTRA. SRA. DEL SAGRADO CORAZON” her oil painting on banner was carried in procession by parishioners of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Hilltown, Pa at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in the Archdiocesan Hispanic Heritage Mass.   Her oil painting of The Risen Christ hangs in St. Stanislaus Chapel in Lansdale, Pa.  She also painted a 5’x10’ scenic backdrop for their crèche in 2013.  She enjoys writing, has published non-fiction and is working on an experimental graphic novel. 

Caroline, is a member of the North Penn Art Alliance, lives in Lansdale and works as an instructor for North Penn School District’s Community Education Program teaching Cartooning and Portrait Drawing. 

Last year at the January NPAA Meeting, Caroline shared the spotlight with Dan Fione and Ed Kane for “You Ink With A Pen, I Ink With A Brush” demonstrating traditional comic art inking with a sable brush.  June 2013 Caroline did a portrait demo for members and guests at NPAA with Ed Kane in costume. 

Caroline has had the privilege of teaching for North Penn Art Alliance for North Penn Community Education since fall of 2011.  She taught Pencil Portraits and Cartooning summer sessions.  Her new Mini Comics class will be offered summer of 2014.  Caroline took the Illustration Master Class at Amherst College in June of 2013, to update, network and learn from successful cartoonists, illustrators, editorial, fantasy artists and movie concept artists.  “Illustrations, cartoons and fine art have merged in our times of global Internet and many people are going the way of the tablet while others still use traditional methods.  I was glad to see talks and demos by a film concept designer who works on the Stars Wars films who still uses traditional methods,” Caroline said.

In Beginning Cartooning for Kids, younger artists learn about drawing with basic shapes. This class is more about the fun of making faces and funny stories.  In Cartooning for Kids, Caroline demonstrates how cartoonists use traditional drawing skills to create fantasy characters who make us laugh at their antics and adventures.  Cartooning is a life long learning journey, which starts with a desire to draw stories.  Caroline hopes these classes will give students the confidence to pursue art on their own.  As one child wrote her, “I have learned much since I’ve started your class.  It has inspired me so much that I will never stop cartooning ever!”  Caroline keeps this letter over her desk at home.  Her students inspire her.

Caroline brings a lot of energy, excitement and fun to her classes. for more information in the various classes/workshops that Caroline will be teaching please go to www.northpennarts.org/images/Spring2014.pdf

To register for the classes, please go to http://www.northpenncep.org