Issue 4 Artist Spotlight | Carly Skye
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Carly!
CS: When not creating, I'm usually baking up a sweet treat or savory meal of some kind. I love food, flavors, and the art of a good meal. That way I can better find inspiration while walking in nature or exploring my surroundings.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
CS: I think now I feel more bold to just go for it and make an image with whatever is available to me. As a young artist, I was still finding my mark making style and trusting that it was enough. Lately, I've been experimenting with mixed media in my paintings as well as ink illustration. I am working towards larger scale work, perhaps even murals someday!
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
CS: Either in the morning hours when dreams have just ended and the flow state of making things is easy to tap into. Sometimes I'll even stop whatever I'm doing if I happen to walk by my drawing table with a project laying out and add a little to it. Music playlists are my usual background sounds, diverse and varied to help set the mood. If I have a long day at work, sometimes painting at night before getting ready for sleep is the best medicine.
C+B: What do you hope people take away from your work?
CS: I hope people feel inspired to believe in the magical quality of life when they see what I enjoy doing. To feel the colorful life force that exists all around us!
Find and support Carly here:
IG: @carlanneskye
(Tiger Queen, 14" x 18", acrylic/watercolor/pastel, ©Carly Skye)
If my work was a meal it would be: Ha! That's a good one. I'd say it's something deliciously bright with a lot going on but will make you feel happy, inspired, and looking for that next best thing that sparks joy.
I would love to be able to share my work with: I would love to share my work with the current graffiti artist, Swoon. I would love to learn how to turn some of my pieces into enormous murals such as she has done. Plus to intertwine them with deeper commentary on social or environmental issues would really take things to the next level.
If I wasn’t able to paint, I would like to try: I am endlessly inspired by craftspeople and sewers. If I couldn't use bright paints I'd definitely want to paint and draw through thread and fabric. I love the intersection of all these different styles of making and how easily one can step into another realm just by choosing a new material or approach.
My ideal creative retreat: A quiet place in the woods or by a body of water of some kind. Somewhere I can rest, recharge, and create without stress or interruption from the demands of daily life.
Carly Skye
