Perseveres to reach her dream
As the crisp, alluring pen and ink drawings touched by soft watercolors pour onto Carol Zehner’s pages, the world she sees comes together in a pictorial story.
Zehner’s brush enlivens the many New Orleans scenes she creates on paper, where her profound hearing loss doesn’t matter.
In fact, the St. Rose resident doesn’t like to dwell on her disability.
She displayed a note with the word “disability” written on it and then crossed out “dis” to leave only “ability.” And that is pretty much how Zehner has steadfastly defined her life.
At 3-1/2 years old, she lost her hearing to measles, but even at that young age she fought for her ability and taught herself to read lips. By seventh grade, she starting wearing a hearing aid that partially helped her. Years of speech therapy at Tulane Medical School improved her speech.
“I really don’t think about it much,” said Zehner of her hearing impairment. “It’s been part of me for so long.”Although she concedes not being able to hear people sometimes isolates her from them, she also finds ways to bridge the gap.
“My ears don’t work as well – that’s the only difference from me and you,” Zehner said. “But it took a long time to reach this.”
Even so, at a young age, she always doodled or created things, which started as acrylic paintings on jewelry boxes or Christmas ornaments as a hobby. This desire to create eventually led to her work as an artist.
And this urge can be powerful for her.
“I can block out things,” Zehner said. “When I work that is my focus.”
Her talent was realized when she discovered watercolor painting.
It started in 2009.
She’d just been laid off from her job as an assistant underwriter, which she’d done 18 years, after a company merger and decided it was time to pursue her dream career as a graphic designer. She earned a degree in the field at Delgado Community College and then got her “dream job” with the Audubon Zoo.
Three years later, Hurricane Katrina hit and she lost that job, too.
“That’s when I decided to do my own thing,” Zehner said.She started selling her own work individually and through her website, www.carolzehnerart.com. She’s been working on her “Neighborhoods” series of New Orleans’ scenes and plans to expand into other areas including the St. Charles and River parishes, the Northshore, and more to draw and paint landmarks and things that make each area unique and special.
Zehner is selling her work on gift tags, cards, ornaments, magnets and posters.
“Selling my art work is a challenge sometimes … to do art work and run a business at the same time,” she said. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Zehner’s discipline moves the work, but her sense of fulfillment keeps her painting.
“I try to block out an entire day to do my art,” she said. “As soon as I walk into my room, I know everything is going to be alright.”
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