Carolyn Laidley Arn is an urban artist and retired interior designer working in commercial real estate in the Greater Toronto Area. She is active in the art scene, as an annual participant in outdoor art fairs in and around the Greater Toronto Area over the past five years.  Carolyn is a regular participant in Riverdale ArtWalk, ArtWalk Square, Queen West ArtCrawl, Stouffville Art in the Park, Cabbagetown Arts & Crafts, Bayview Studio Tour and in online shows as well as gallery shows at Leslie Grove Gallery in Toronto.  Carolyn is also a member of the Artists' Network Board of Directors, currently as Vice-Chair, and was instrumental in combining her real estate expertise and background as an artist to work with the City of Toronto to secure a subsidized and first permanent home in Leslieville for the organization.

The most recent collection, referred to as Tumblescapes, was created during the pandemic is playful, whimsical and ethereal and features big, bold bouncy shapes layered with tiny intricate details. Drawing from her interior design background, she uses a curated selection of colours, introducing layers, mark making, mixed media, spray paint and a faux encaustic technique.  Meant to subtly preserve this unprecedented time, bits of newspaper articles are embedded and revealed throughout the work, providing the direction and the essence of each piece. A path of hand applied tiny dots and shapes flowing through the work, somewhat reminiscent of an old pinball game represent patience, resilience, and changing course (or dare I say ‘pivot’) as we navigate through both pandemic challenges and the big and small obstacles of our lives.