About Me
Caroline Bardwell
I was raised in Schenectady, a small city in the Capital Region of Upstate New York, and returned home after college. I spent the next 17 years enjoying a career in environmental conservation as a professional geologist. I have always loved words and photography, but thought of them as something to enjoy rather than something I could share with others. After a couple of particularly challenging years personally, poetry found me when I desperately needed a creative and meaningful outlet. After I found some success with poems published online and reading at local open mics, I decided that I could take my love of words, nature, historic architecture, and the Capital District and make something original that others could enjoy as well, to foster a tangible connection with community. My faith, a source of inspiration and hope, is a common thread in many of my pieces. I am grateful for both my hardships and my blessings. It seems to me that people think of art as something that is for wealthy people or that you need money to make art, but I believe that art, like beauty, can be found everywhere, and it can be made with very limited resources if you use your imagination.
Poetry/Writing
Meaningful expressions of thought and emotion through verse
My poems are intended to not only express my personal thoughts and feelings, but also to illustrate how truly alike we all are when it comes down to love and loss, life and death, hopes and dreams, healing and pain. The questions we have, the things we take for granted, the changes we could make in our attitude if we would take the time to look around and look up and engage in our surroundings. I write about the human experience, faith, and nature. I write both classical poetry and contemporary free verse. Some of these are excerpted and combined with my original photographs. I have been fortunate to have poems published in The Society of Classical Poets; Up the River Journal; Faith, Hope and Fiction; 50 Haikus; Westward Quarterly; The Faithful Creative, and Ancient Paths Online and will soon be a featured writer at Altarwork. I also enjoy reading at local poetry open mics and events.
Creative Photography
Combining Words with Beautiful Images for a Unique Overall Effect
Local Landscapes
Appreciate the splendor
of your own community
I love to capture local settings year-round to showcase the natural beauty and historic character of our community. I combine images with original poems or meaningful captions to enhance the overall visual effect. Consider displaying my work in your home/business or giving as a gift.
Travel Photography
The beauty of the world at large, with a focus on Irish settings.
My travel photography ranges from the Adirondack Mountains to trips out of state or even internationally. Many photos are from a 2006 trip to Ireland. When I digitize my 1999 Spain and Scotland photos, they will be added to my collection.
Faith & Spirituality
Doing what I can to share the love of Christ and the peace of God
My source of creative inspiration is my faith and a desire to celebrate life, love, and this incredible world we live in, despite all of its flaws. I use passages from the Bible, craft original blessings and prayers, or excerpt my own poetry to complement each image.
Excerpt from poem entitled "Building Bridges,"
Originally printed in Ancient Paths Literary Magazine,
April 2018
Caroline Bardwell
"Far nobler is the man who seeks
a world united by the hand
than one who tears down as he speaks,
whose words are loose, like grains of sand"
Merchandise
Click the "Shop" Button to see merchandise available online
You can find a selection of my framed prints, original mugs, and greeting cards at the following Upstate, NY stores:
Clinton Street Mercantile - Schenectady
Artique - Clifton Park
Merriman & Pfister's - Delmar
Make It Count Gifts - Burnt Hills
Lennon's Irish Shop - Schenectady
If you have a request for something you see on the site, on my Instagram or Twitter feed, or want something one-of-a-kind specially made for you alone, fill out the contact form! Consider commissioning frame photography of local settings for your home or office!
Original Mug Designs
Bringing art and poetry
into daily living
Framed Prints
Find meaning in the art you display
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Stationery
A unique alternative to commercially-available greeting cards
Contact Me
