A native of Westford, Mass., Caroline Heald has lived in Alexandria since 1777 and has been an artist at the Topoedo Factory since 2004, now sharing a studio with former Del. Marian Vanlandingham. She recently completed a series of paintings of paintings featuring the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
Why paint the Woodrow Wilson Bridge?
Initially, I didn't like the new bridge. I was opposed to it, and I was afraid of what it was going to do to Jones Point Park. But the bridge kind of won me over because itís better looking than its predecessor. Itís actually sort of beautiful, I think. Somebody told me that there are 5,000 different subcontractors working on different aspects of the bridge. The scale of the project is awesome, and the more I learned about it the more I became impressed.
Do you still have concerns about Jones Point Park?
I still love gong to Jones Point, and I have come to love the bridge. I'm hoping that the city wonít put soccer fields north of the bridge, although that has nothing to do with my paintings. I still think it's a lovely peaceful place, and I guess I sort of tolerate the fact that the bridge has taken away from the park.
What is it like to share a space with Marian Vanlandingham?
We get along very well. Our politics are similar, and we both bring our dogs to work. Weíre able to work silently side by side or chat while we paint. As far as I know, I don't think anyone else in the buildings works side by side like we do. Everybody else takes turns. I've learned a lot about Alexandria from her, and I've learned a lot about Virginia. But most of the time weíre basically two artists.
What's next for your as an artist?
My husband and I went to India for the whole month of February, and I took lots of pictures. And I hope to do lots of extremely colorful paintings of India based on my photographs.
What's the best book you've read in the last year
"The Inheritance of Loss" by Kiran Desai because we just got back from being in the place it was written about, an area close to Darjeeling in the Himalayas. It's technically part of India, but it's mostly inhabited by people from Nepal. The book does a great job of straddling between that culture and New York City.
What is your favorite movie?
"Ship of Fools," which is about a transatlantic cruise with very complicated and interesting people onboard who get tangled up with each other over the course of the movie.
What are your achievements?
I've got a master's degree in urban planning and an MBA in business finance, neither of which I've used for 20 years. When I quit my city-planning job I started taking classes in the Art League School in the Torpedo Factory. At first I though it was a hobby but it quickly became quite compelling.
What is your favorite restaurant?
It may be too early to say, but we recently went to Farah Olivia and really liked it. I remember saying during the meal that this must be the best restaurant in Old Town.
What concerns do you have about the community?
I would like to have public access all along the waterfront, which we've been talking about for years. I just think it would be great if it were all public land along the waterfront. I think people should be able to see the river, and see up and down the river. It shouldn't be difficult to get to the water, then walk along it and enjoy it. My other concern is pollution from Mirant. I really wish that it could be shut down.