Copley Society of Art

We are sad to report that Davis John Caroll Jr., a native New England contemporary artist, passed away on February 22, 2011. The artist had recently been accepted as a new member at the Copley Society of Art, with his work Cook Street, Provincetown included in the New Members’ Show: 2011. Yet this was not the first time Carroll had submitted his work to the gallery, for he had been an artist at Copley 40 years prior. After graduating from the Massachusetts College of Art, Carroll developed his style through his work with advertising firms in the Boston and Cambridge area.  By 1969, the artist resigned from the art directorial position he had held to pursue his personal artistic interests. In addition to the Copley Society of Art, Carroll was also a member of the New England Watercolor Society, the American Watercolor Society, and the Boston Watercolor Society. 

Cook Street, Provincetown , acrylic, 27 x 37

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Carroll experimented with materials to perfect his personal innovative techniques, which included painting in watercolor on rice paper, and in oil on silk. In addition to painting, Carroll created lithographs, silk screens, and often employed the flourishes of calligraphy. At times, his serigraph and silkscreen styles made the paintings appear to be three dimensional. Common themes running  through his work are flowers, clipper ships, local neighborhoods, antiques, and other representations of regional New England culture.  Carroll was held in high esteem by his peers and his works were warmly received throughout the New England area, as well as in exhibitions in Florida. 

Commissions from the Strathmore Paper Company, the Hutschenreuther China Company, Germany, the American Horticultural Society, The Franklin Mont and multiple galleries speak to Carroll’s achievements as an artist. Carroll also worked as a teacher in Natick, and after moving to Boston, became a member of St. Ceceilia’s Church and an advocate for the Campaign for Human Rights and the AIDS Action Committee.  Carroll's son, John Davis Carroll, has also chosen an artistic career path. You can see his work at http://johndaviscarroll.com

A memorial service for Davis Carroll will be held in June. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to:

 The AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts

75 Amory Street,

Boston MA, 02119