Ambassador of the Week: Carrie Waller

June 24, 2018

Meet Carrie Waller, this week’s top American Watercolor Weekly Ambassador!

“Banned” is the first in my lightbulb series. It is a response to the ban on incandescent bulbs in the US. When I found out that the US would be banning the bulbs they became my most precious possession. I painted this composition with the afternoon sun lighting these bulbs creating the long cool shadows. Reveal bulbs were sprinkled throughout the composition creating a beautiful pop of purple and blue. This complimentary color scheme became an integral piece of my lightbulb series.

Carrie Waller is a watercolor artist working in a realistic, detailed style. Her training in Interior Design and her studies in Graphic design as well as her time living in Europe and Asia have influenced her as an artist. Her unique works are bold, vibrant and dramatic.

Carrie is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, Louisiana Watercolor Society and Mid-Southern Watercolorists. She teaches workshops and private classes.

“Gingko Tea” I have been living in Japan just under 4 years and this painting is a result of the asian influence taking place in my artistic journey. The amazing color and delicacy of the gingko leaves was such a wonderful contrast to the rich color of the tea and the cool colors in the shadows. I am in the process of painting the seasons of Japan in this tea series. “Gingko Tea” represents Fall in Japan.

Carrie has won numerous awards and has had works published in many publications including The Watercolor Artist Magazine, with an interview , a step by step gallery and a large representation of her work. She has also been published in The Art of Watercolour, Pratique des Arts, and The Artist’s Magazine as a finalist in The Artist’s Magazine Annual Competition. Her painting “Banned” received the Dana Bartlett top award in the NWS member exhibition. “Celebration” received the Gold Medal award in the Mid-Southern Watercolorists 44th Annual Juried Exhibition. Her work has also been published in Splash 14, Light and Color; The Best of Watercolor and Splash 16: Exploring Texture, Splash 17: Inspiring Subjects and Splash 18: Value Celebrating Light and Dark.

“Focus” is part of my lightbulb series. I began painting these in response to the ban on incandescent lightbulbs. I fell in love with painting this subject and since have painted around 10 works in the series. Painting glass is such a challenging and rewarding task. I love the colors and shapes that bounce around in these transparent compositions. Capturing the fragility of these bulbs in a dynamic way keeps me coming back to this series.

Artist’s Statement

I have always had a fascination with watercolor. The difficulty of the medium challenges me and the transparent layering can not be replicated with any other medium. I challenge myself to push the medium by creating saturated colors and let the white of the paper sparkle through to create my dramatic lights. I love the process of being a still life painter. Conceptualizing the perfect painting in my head, the hunt for the props, setting up my finds in the a dramatic composition utilizing natural lighting and seeing my idea come to life. My intention is for the viewer to be captivated by the beauty and light of the piece and for it to give them an amazing visual experience. My goal is to make the ordinary, extraordinary.

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