Fibre Arts Take Two

I recently had the honor and pleasure of spending an hour talking with Tara Axford of Fibre Arts Take Two out of Sydney, Australia about my art practice. If you are not familiar with them, you should be. On Instragram they can be found @fibreartstaketwo and their website is: https://www.fibreartstaketwo.com/

When I think of the many organizations that promote the arts that I know of, rarely do they meet the outreach that FATT does. This is a true dedication to connect artists with the public at large in everything related to the art of fibre not to mention the education opportunities that are also available through FATT.

As the Friday, Oct. 4th feature artist, the live broadcast on Facebook will start at 3pm tomorrow afternoon EST (Sydney is 14 hours ahead of us currently) on Thursday Oct. 3rd — the link to this event is: https://www.facebook.com/events/901785465141060?ref=newsfeed — join us if you can!

If you miss the broadcast you can see the video on YouTube @: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQG3_WxJX_M

Many, many thanks to all of you at FATT who have made this opportunity possible.

Color Paper Scissors

COLLAGE. This time honored medium is having a global moment as artists all over the world are incorporating paper into their daily studio work. For my part, I’ve been working in this genre for about five years now and really can’t imagine letting the collage aspect of my work go anytime soon. Indeed, the interest in my collage workshops remains strong as this medium is very forgiving and doesn’t require drawing skills. I’ve even completely rearranged my studio to accommodate the organization of my collage material—this is essential to keeping my sanity as an artist.

Urban Botanical #372

87 x 12.5 inches — various collage papers, acrylic house paint and Irish linen waxed thread on hand stitched canvas. Industrial thread spool armature.

I’ve also begun to work more with hand stitched canvas this year and I’m looking at a more textile approach in my art practice. This is a natural exploration for me as I combine book arts sensibilities with my collage work. I’m still pursuing work on panel, both aluminum and wood, as well as using a lot of vintage book covers as my substrate. There is continuity as well as exploration as I navigate change and solidify my every day practice in the studio.

Urban Collage #373 displayed in the AVA Juried Members show 2024

78.5 x 68.5 inches — various collage papers, acrylic house paint and Irish linen waxed thread on hand stitched canvas. Wood, leather and hex bolt armature.

Urban Collage #330 hanging in TETHER (on the right)—the September show in the main gallery of The Loft in Marietta, Georgia on the square (photo courtesy of The Loft Marietta).

Also, a new era has begun as this year has seen some changes in representation for me—Citron Gallery in Asheville has closed its doors, this summer heralded the end of the relationship with my Nashville gallery, and exciting new representation began with The Loft Marietta. Change is always imminent, especially within the art world, and its best to roll with the punches and embrace new challenges.

CONVERGENCE — New Work by Anna Carll

convergence noun

1 : the act of converging and especially moving toward union or uniformity

example: the convergence of the three rivers

synonyms: concurrence, connection, merging, concourse, crossroads

Urban Harbor #313

36 x 80 inches — MM on hollow-core door

SOLD—Private Collection

The Urban Series

“When I first conceived the Urban Series, I was thinking of the cycle of life in relation to my Mother’s diagnosis of dementia—the painful erosion of her mind and personality. When I pursued this line of inquiry, I saw a distinct correlation between what was happening to my Mother and how nature erodes our cities, towns or villages with acts of natural disaster. Through this lens I began to see that there could be many different but convergent collections within this series—each with their own characteristics and related in form and structure.”

Within the Urban Series all the colors, shapes, textures, lines and compositions converge to convey the same concept; the exploration of city life in conflict with nature. Carll designs and creates the majority of her collage material in Photoshop and then prints the images on acid free sketch paper. “I have a lot more control over the imagery and am able to create files that explore different images of our local infrastructure through a process of layering my photos with grunge textures that cause fracturing of the forms within—much like what nature does to our communities.” This process is unique to Carll’s background in graphic design and illustration—a way to merge all of her skills from her early career with her current multi-disciplined art practice.

Viewers of this work will discover all kinds of patterns made from utility wires, city grids, wallpaper patterns, monoprint designs, architectural elements and plant life. All of this imagery is merged with fine art & handmade papers layered in the form of collage as a dense construction of form and palette choices. Carll refers to this process as “painting with paper.” Anna Carll combines painting, collage and mixed media within a multi-disciplined art practice using her own vocabulary to create powerful visuals that embody her unique vision of the world.

Karen Hewitt Hagan and her team @ Hagan Fine Art present: CONVERGENCE — New Work by Anna Carll — on view through September 2023.

Event page @ Hagan Fine Art

Opening reception: Friday September 1st — 5-8pm (This will coincide with the CGA Artwalk in downtown Charleston, SC.).

Art talk with the artist: 7-8pm.

125 Church Street

Charleston, SC 29401

+1-843-901-8124

The Flying Fruit Bowl — Dialogue of a Creative Journey →

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

~Thomas Merton

Urban Collage #297 — Available @ A Gallery Fine Art

It’s not often that I look back at the entire creative journey that has brought me to where I am today as an abstract artist, but I recently had one hell of a conversation with Aaron S of The Flying Fruit Bowl. TFFB is both a platform and a podcast series that is DEDICATED TO THE DISCUSSION AND EXPLORATION OF ART AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS. Aaron is based in the UK and brings to you his passion for long conversations that meander around your particular journey with insightful questions that make you see things in a new light. A photographer himself, Aaron understands the sacrifices and demands that revolve around a creative path in modern society.

In a world that is increasingly less private, where can we go to just listen? Finding sources of authentic content has gone the way of the dinosaur—pretty much extinct. Aaron and his team have produced some fantastic podcasts that I’ve listened to on TFFB, and is one source that I will treasure and return to again for creative content that’s worth my time.

If you’d like to listen to my interview with Aaron, it’s been split into parts 1 and 2 — each 1.5 hours of dialogue that dissected my creative journey:

Part 1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NZ1UqEnOX2MJzjXEQvuqJ

Part 2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4THOLHRrQuBMFYQJZnIm0Z

Connection—Gratitude for New Relationships

A couple of weeks ago I completed one of those puzzles on Instagram where actual words were embedded into random letters across and down to form a large square. The game was that the first four words you “see” are what defines your current attitude towards life. My four words were connection, gratitude, strength and care.

As I reflect on this past year, and imagine my direction for 2023, what I deeply feel is gratitude. Since November of 2021 I have picked up four new galleries that are reshaping and reinforcing my art practice in unexpected ways. Each new gallery connection has upheld my belief that there is real substance in the new directions I have taken with my Urban Series. Over the last several years I have recognized and refined interpretations of urban life here in Chattanooga through a birds-eye-view of city streets and structures in conflict with nature. This new work reflects the strength and determination of both humanity and Gaia in a push/pull dance for the dominance of Earth. The emergence of this body of work is getting a lot of interest and appreciation not only by the public but the purveyors of art as well.

Urban Botanical #287 is now available @ Craighead Green Gallery

The newest association is with Craighead Green Gallery located in the heart of the Dallas Texas design district. Kenneth Craighead saw an ad in Asheville Made Magazine with Citron Gallery where Rand Kramer featured my Urban Botanicals—Citron was the first of these four new galleries to represent me in this latest web of connections (the cover of that magazine issue highlighted one of Craighead Green’s artists). Kenneth immediately contacted me and we began a dialogue that lead to a mutual understanding of representation.

Craighead Green Gallery’s Showroom Entrance

One of the many things that I love about Craighead Green is their long-standing reputation both locally and nationally of providing outstanding representation for creators they value. They also showcase a wide variety of contemporary art that reflects all manner of theory mixed with creative form within a large 6,000 square foot space. Craighead Green has been in operation since 1992 which shows not only a true dedication to art but also the business acumen to weather the ups-and-downs of the crazy art market. I couldn’t be in better hands moving forward into the future.

Urban Botanical #288 now available @ Craighead Green Gallery

As this current journey continues to unfold, I would like give some credit to my Instagram profile that I have meticulously built over the last seven years—never underestimate the power of social media. This endeavor has finally paid off with lots of exposure and also gives me the opportunity to keep fellow artists, collectors and galleries up to date on my studio happenings. Yet another form of connection (whether dubious or not) in the art of building an online community. For me, connection = growth not only personally but professionally.

For more information on Craighead Green Gallery check out their website @ www.craigheadgreen.com.

View my Instagram profile @annacarllart

Emergence—New Adventures in Art

Most of us creators have been surprised at how the pandemic has affected the art market. With the collapse of the event industry, we’re seeing a renaissance emerge with brick and mortar gallery’s across the globe. There is still a part of me that feels guilt about the prosperity that the pandemic has brought to me. Even though I’m now busier than ever, I’m still maintaining a mindset of acknowledging and expressing daily, gratitude in a time of loss (I borrow this phrase from a fabulous artist I follow on Instagram, Daryl Burnett—@darylburnett).

At this time and place, I am pleased to announce three new gallery representations. Last fall I joined the Citron Gallery in Asheville, NC—the incredible artist Rand Kramer’s new studio/gallery on Biltmore Avenue. This spring I joined the family of Higher Art Gallery in Traverse City, MI, and this coming Fall, I’ll begin a relationship with Hagan Fine Art in Charleston, SC. I feel right at home with all of these fabulous galleries and hope to maintain a long lasting marriage with them—for that’s what it is, a marriage. Long discussions about what is working and whats not working…coordination of social and work calendars, the general support of each other and finally, the acceptance of our place in the gallery family.

Urban Grid #78 is available @ Citron Gallery. Contact Rand Kramer @ +1-828-785-4131 for pricing.

Visit Citron Gallery in the heart of downtown Asheville, NC with fellow artists, Rand Kramer, Betty Clark, Frances Domingues, Kieta Jackson, Kento Saisho and Kerry Schroder.

Urban Collage #257 pre-sold before arriving at Higher Art Gallery. Contact Shanny Brooke @ +1-231-252-4616 for availability of other Anna Carll pieces.

Shanny Brooke of Higher Art Gallery is a fabulous artist in her own right and a wonderful art dealer committed to representing her gallery family.

I’ll be very busy over the summer designing and creating new work for Hagan Fine Art in Charleston, SC and my long-time gallery relationship with A Gallery Fine Art in Palm Desert, CA. Lisa Dempton has navigated the art market for decades with a rich history and connection to Palm Desert as A Gallery Fine Art has been a family business with deep local relationships in the community. Hagan Fine Art also has a long and deep relationship with Charleston, SC—I’m so looking forward to working with them and getting to know the Charleston art scene.

Urban Grid #88 is available @ A Gallery Fine Art in Palm Desert, CA. Contact Lisa Dempton @ +1-760-346-8885 for pricing.

The time ahead promises to continue to be uncertain with COVID being such a huge part of the global narrative, however, I feel rejuvenated by my internal endeavors in studio work and feel that gratitude in a time of loss every day as I continue to forge ahead with these new relationships.

Be well everyone…I’m sending lots of LOVE out into the world.

All the best,

~Anna Carll