The Nurturing Darkness presents the art of Carol Bajen-Gahm as she meditates on the root cellars of Newfoundland. It consists of twenty-two mixed media abstract paintings in which she uses encaustic and oil paints, seaweed prints, netting, photo transfers and other media to distill the many aspects of these dark but nurturing underground structures still extant in many Newfoundland outports. She explores their dark, confined spaces that create an indifference to time and space and generate a fear that leads to a deeper understanding. Her geologic processes of deposition and erosion (painting and scraping) create to a balance between form and color; shape and texture that engenders a deep sense of seeing.

Carol and her studio are literally immersed in the wild surroundings of the North Atlantic and, as a consequence, Carol’s art is steeped in the soul of Newfoundland.