Karole Marois

Karole Marois is a figurative waterscape painter exploring our profound connection with water, living on the shore of Prince Edward County. Originally from Ottawa, Karole has called the County home for over a decade, and has found unlimited inspiration in the water that surrounds it. “The ever-changing moods of this freshwater ocean are a constant source of inspiration for my work,” she says.

For years, Karole exhibited her work in galleries and museums nationally, while also painting murals for Parks Canada and national museums. Two of her large multi-panel figurative paintings, inspired by an art residency with the Canadian Forces Artist Program in 2005, are now in the collections of the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and the City Hall of Apeldoorn in the Netherlands, respectively, and her work can be found in public and private collections in Canada, the US and Europe.

Using acrylics, transparent washes and flowing brushstrokes, Karole’s work evokes themes of memory and reflection, creating an atmospheric sense of timelessness.

“Our profound human/nature relationship has been a constant theme in my figurative paintings,” she says. “I am especially interested in our deep emotional connection and strong attraction to the water’s energy. My ongoing journey as an artist has led me to where I am now, living on the shore of Great Lake Ontario. The ever-changing moods of this freshwater ocean are a constant source of inspiration for my work.”

Karole’s upcoming exhibition of waterscape paintings, aptly titled A Passing Ship / Un bateau de passage, will be on exhibition at the County Arts Lab from May 24th-31st, 2026, with a special opening reception on May 24th from 2-5 PM, featuring selected poetry readings by participating writers from Prince Edward County and Ottawa.

Read on to learn more about Karole’s upcoming exhibition, what’s impacted her lately, and more below.

Let us know about your upcoming projects:

I will be presenting an exhibition of painting and poetry called “A Passing Ship.” I am excited about this upcoming show, and I am grateful to the poets Lindsay Marie Brant, Shauna Haugen, Andrée Lacelle, and the late Alan Whiteley for displaying their inspiring poetry in the exhibition.

I love using navigation as a metaphor for the journey of life, a passage, a crossing, a voyage, and a destination. The more I explore the theme of a passing ship, the more meaningful it becomes for me. There is so much more I want to express in future work.

Tell us about another artist’s work you’ve experienced recently that made an impact on you:

There are more than one, but if I focus on locally, it is the photography of Jason Pettit. His snow series made an impact on me. I love the minimalism, the sensuous colours and forms, and the symbolism in his work. His vision inspires me.

Where in the County do you find the most creative inspiration?

I find inspiration in so many ways in the County, but the easiest answer is the view from Cressy Lakeside. Looking at this vast freshwater ocean calms me down and mesmerizes me. The flat limestone shelf near the shore creates beautiful waves, while the big boulders ground me. As I write this, I am thinking of how well Conrad Beaubien would express this feeling in words. He is another local artist that I admire very much.

Where is your favourite place to work on your art?

My home studio, KAROLEM Art Studio, is where I love to work. From my big windows facing North and overlooking the Adolphus Reach, I can see all types of ships and boats go by, and that inspires my work.