Carolyn Ensley was born in the beautiful mountain area of Chama, New Mexico. Her natural creativity has found numerous outlets over the years, beginning as a jeweler and culminating in jewel-toned oil, watercolor, egg tempera and encaustic painting. She teaches encaustic painting techniques in Sedona, Arizona where she now lives, having returned to the Southwest from the area where George Washington crossed the Delaware River. This area's close proximity to New York and Philadelphia is widely known as a nourishing climate for creative people including artists, writers, musicians and other artisans. Prior to living near New Hope, Pennsylvania, Carolyn and her family have lived in Southern California, Athens, Georgia and Austin, Texas.

Carolyn has evolved from working as a goldsmith, highlighting the natural beauty of precious gems, employing the elements of composition, design, balance and rhythm in jewelry design. Her grounding in artwork for the human form led her to explore other diverse media, particularly sculpture and painting.  Over time, her curiosity about ancient cultures led to the study of techniques such as granulation and encaustics developed by the Etruscans (who lived 2000 years ago in what is now Tuscany, Italy). She has applied these methods to abstract painting in encaustic and water based media, translating this approach to capture and celebrate the beauty of nature.  Her love for the Southwest animates her landscapes.

Carolyn's paintings, jewelry, and sculptures are owned internationally. Her education includes a Bachelors degree from the University of New Mexico as well as post-graduate work in California and Pennsylvania. She is currently teaching jewelry techniques and design for life painting in oils at Yavapai College at the Verde Valley Campus and will offer a class in portraiture in oils Fall 2008.