The Art of Giving: Ena Carroll Creates For a Cause
LaRissa Grover 

There is something about Ena Carroll’s art that simultaneously catches the eye and intrigues the mind­­—whether it’s the color that harmoniously pops out, the imaginative yet realistic quality of a startling portrait or the rush of a snapshot moment caught on fresh canvas. And yet there is a unique, unseen element to Carroll’s work that could easily go unnoticed, and that is the art of giving.

Carroll’s interest for art began when she was just three years old. Living in the former Yugoslavia, in Beograde (pronounced Bel-grade), she had an artist neighbor.

 “I vividly remember his studio and his paintings,” Carroll recalled. “Since then, I have always had a love for playing with paint.”

When she was twelve, she moved to the U.S. Despite her love for art, Carroll decided to study international relations in college. Concerned with how their daughter would support herself, her parents discouraged her from being an artist.

Originally, Carroll had convinced herself that art would be her hobby—just something she could do on the side. Now Carroll has realized that she constantly needs creativity in her life.

“It would be very hard to work as a non-creative person,” Carroll said. “I’d almost rather collect garbage than that!”

Even if no one was interested in her art, Carroll said she would go to her studio.

“Art was really my first love,” Carroll explained. “And now, it has come back to consume me.”

Carroll does all sorts of art, but painting is her most common medium. Quite often Carroll will paint colorful flower bouquets, typically from her own garden. In these paintings, Carroll creates intriguing dimension with her use of various materials including marker, pencils and layered paint, which create unique color and texture combination that are both glossy and matte. The result is a vibrant painting - one that looks as if it is coming right off the paper. Some of these creations Carroll gives to friends and family.

“I do (art) for myself, but I’d much rather make someone happy with a piece than sell something,” Carroll said.

According to Carroll, artists usually have a choice to make: whether they are going to create art for themselves and work by their own standards or strive to make a profit.

 “To tell the truth—I hate giving commissions,” Carroll said. “As an artist you have confidence in your ability to please yourself but it’s very hard to think of what it takes to please someone else.”

Carroll said she finds it especially difficult when someone wants a painting of their child and showing the finished product can be very nerve-racking. She is always tempted to say: “You don’t have to buy this." Although she does not turn down commissions, Carroll doesn't feel they are worthwhile because of the intense time commitment and uncertainty of whether it will please another person. She recognizes living as a professional artist is especially difficult because producing work for other people can force artists to compromise.

Consequently, Carroll has not always been happy with what she has made, even if the client was pleased with the work.

"One woman asked me to paint flowers on her kitchen stools and then she bought me this god-awful fabric, and I couldn’t talk her out of them,” Carroll said. “And that’s the problem with taking commissions…you just don’t feel like doing it as an artist.”

Carroll cited Thomas Kinkade as an artist who has successfully used his artwork as a business. However, while his art is quite popular in the public, he has not been accepted by museums and galleries as a true artist, which Carroll believes largely stems from the fact that his main concern lies in pleasing the public.

 “If you are going to make money in art, you’re going to have to approach it as a business person… You’re going to have to contact Hallmark and get them to buy your illustrations,” Carroll said.

Sometimes artists can be successful without going as mainstream if they establish a strong reputation. But Carroll said even these artists struggle to remain profitable because artists often go up and down with success, one year being extremely hot and the next struggling to find any clients at all.

 “It seems like you can’t be both, and if you can’t be both, I‘d rather be the one who donates my artwork to an organization than be the one who is selling the art and doing commissions, half of which I don’t like,” Carroll said.

For this reason, Carroll said she could never really devote herself full force to making her art a business.

 “I just don’t think that it is always good art,” Carroll said. “It feels like you are selling yourself.”

It wasn’t long before Carroll realized how her work could generate a profit without compromising its quality. By selling her work for charity, she found a happy medium. Charity organizations were typically interested in art she had previously created.

 “It was something I already had… and something I was proud of,” Carroll said, “whereas if people hire me to do things, I’m not always proud of what I create.”

Since then, Carroll has been involved in a variety of organizations, mostly donating her artwork to auctions allowing the money to go straight to an organization.

 “Others heard of me and wanted me to donate art to their fundraising efforts,” she said. “Once I realized that people were asking for pieces because they thought it would bring a lot of money for their organization, that was a really big kick for me.”

Money raised from her paintings has reached thousands of dollars. The Whitefish Bay Education Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Association, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition have all benefited from her creations.

Even her church has benefited from Carroll’s creativity. When they heard she had created paintings of the church, the church contacted her to see if it could receive a copy. She gladly obliged to give one of her paintings to the church—she had created a few with different perspectives.

Often, Carroll paints the same scene, using different colors and techniques. As a result, there are multiple paintings of the exact same thing, yet they each have a unique perspective with various coloring, lighting and textured effects. The outcome of seeing the same scene painted multiple times in a different style is captivating. Similar to looking at a change in seasons, it brings an awe for the created work and the different mode each one instills.

“I must have painted this one farm a hundred times,” said Carroll, referring to a farm that was next to her former home in Appleton. Coming from the city, Carroll said the view of this farm and the dramatically changing colors and clouds in the sky constantly compelled her to paint. It is one of many scenic paintings that would later sell for thousands of dollars in an auction for an organization.

Carroll’s inspiration for her art frequently comes from nature—whether a beautiful scenic landscape, her flower garden, her own children or the beach. When she goes to the Milwaukee beach, she will think, “how can I bring this home?” She strives to recreate the blue waters and the peaceful feelings of the beach, one of her favorite places.

More than anything, Carroll loves the creative aspect. For art, one must create something new, she said. This is what makes it different from a craft because a craft is replicating something someone else already created, she explained.

In addition to painting, Carroll is also passionate about photography.

“I’ve been taking photos my whole life,” she said.

When her kids were in high school, Carroll would create her own senior portraits for them. When the school psychologist found this out, Carroll received a phone call asking if she would consider doing portraits for the kids who couldn’t afford professional photography.

“Absolutely,” Carroll responded.

Carroll said the teens have been fun to work with, and it has been a joy to watch them light up when they see their pictures. She remembers a particular girl who had never really been treated as if she were beautiful.

“When she saw her photo, she was so happy,” Carroll said. “I was…touched. This made me happy for about a month.”

It is this love for helping others that has made Carroll not just an artist who creates great artwork, but also an artist who creates a better community.

“This is a way for me to better the lives of others,” Carroll said. “Bringing people joy--this is what makes me happy.”