Carla Wilson
San Diego, CA
Carla Wilson is a mixed media artist and writer based in San Diego, California.
Message
CARLA WILSON is a mixed media artist and writer, based in southern California. She has published two literary fiction collections, both focused on art and film. She maintains a growing list of published artworks and texts, both online and in print. Currently she is working on a third book as well as focusing on experimenting with different substrates.
EDUCATION
Wilson graduated from San Diego State University in 2013, earning an MFA in fiction. She earned a BA in Communication from the University of California, San Diego in 1995. Around 2006 she began an MA program in art history before changing her major to creative writing. In 2022 she completed Nicholas Wilton's Creative Visionary Program, and since then has continued to exhibit artwork and take classes to further her art education. She has worked full time in Higher Education since 1994, and currently works for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of San Diego, continuing to learn and grow in her art practice in her spare time.
Statement
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Art is spiritual, art is subjective. Art can be absurd while simultaneously serious. I love to create expressive, abstract paintings using a variety of tools and mixed media, including acrylic, inks, graphite, crayon, pencil and pastel. I love mark-making, and I love the viscosity of paint itself and vibrant color for its ability to uplift. I love creating texture and the way the materials I use interact with different substrates, depending on how I use them. Some concepts in my work include the intersections of dark and light, nature and reflection, time, transparency, fluidity and opacity, the overlap of shapes, textures, patterns and colors. Essentially, my paintings express my own narratives in response to the chaos and uncertainty in the world. I want viewers to feel a sense of freedom and joy and at the same time, recognize the various subtleties in my artwork.