These days I find myself finally floating to the pinnacle of creativity even after a lifetime of working in the creative world. This phase of life has afforded me the luxury of using the wisdom gained via life experiences to create art for all that it brings to me.
Self expression is one of life’s pleasures that all humans should dabble at with abandon. There is no time to dilly-dally because it flows away with each tick of the clock. Soak it up!
Themes: Some of the themes my work focuses on are nature, old memories, aging, and feeling safe. I tend to use recurring personal symbolism such as moons, safety pins, bodies of water and natural objects as a visual vehicle. I lean toward changing up my visual style from realism to abstraction sometimes because it does not interest me to have every piece look the same. Variation is more interesting instead of creating things that are more static. As I mature, abstraction is becoming more important because it feels like a mirror of my internal and external world.
Mediums: In my younger years as I was learning to paint, oil paint was the gold standard. I loved the smell of it and the way the colors blended but sadly, the fumes made my respiratory system unhappy. I switched to acrylic paint and have learned to enjoy it plus it is just so much easier to clean up. I work in mixed media a lot using canvas, paper, wood, watercolors, gel plate monoprints, and linocut prints. I also sometimes make handmade books and do other projects as the mood hits.
Inspiration: The aging process inspires me because my perception of aging as a young person was drastically different from what reality is now that I am tip-toeing into that direction. Life is full and rich with promise from adventures and stories yet to be told. I also get inspired by the ability of nature to constantly adapt. Nature always seems to find a way to move forward and grow when facing obstacles. That process fascinates me because it feels like watching magic.
Influences: Typical of most artists, my work is influenced by the world around me and life experiences. The people that taught me how to make art in high school and college were the largest influences that carry over into my art even now. Every teacher that I encountered gave me something different and I gained new ways of seeing with each perspective they shared. Since those early years, I have sought out other artists and learned. Going to art openings, museums, galleries, festivals and any place with private or public art has always been a huge part of my daily life. My own home is filled with art by other artists and it’s very gratifying to live with art. Artists (some were my teachers) that influenced my own work: Doris Bills, Claire Hampton, Fred Burton, Bill Womack, Dolph Smith, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse.
Carrie Lee Bartlett Art 