Autumn Night

After about six hikes this month my brain was very full of color! I really enjoyed working with a black stained background to make the colors pop even more. I like how the leaves look like lights in windows…a reminder that the sun is setting sooner and people are retreating into their warm homes to cook squash soup for dinner.

Autumn Night, Acrylic on Birch panel, 24 x 48, $1,150

Sycamore

I love the variety of yellows, greens, and whites on a Sycamore trunk. Choosing to do this painting almost entirely in stenciled circles turned out to be a rare type of tedium but I feel like the end result was worth it.

Sycamore, Acrylic on Birch panel, 28 x 48

Fire

About the only thing that kept me sane through the Covidy winter was having friends over for a fire on the front porch. I wanted to capture it in a painting. I hope that the viewer can smell and hear this painting .

Fire, Acrylic on Birch panel, 24 x 48, $1,800

Trying New Things

I’m always so literal when I paint. And on top of that, I see my images for months or even years before I paint them so once I finally get them out, I’m honestly a little bored by the end result. So I’ve decided to start playing around with process, color, and texture more and see what happens. I want the results to look abstract but still representational of the subject. I grew rainbow beets in my garden this year. I just LOVE the color of cut beets. I also wanted something to go with my kitchen table and bring some energy to the room.

I have plans to do several more in this style.

Beets, Acrylic on Board, 36’ x 48”, $5,000

Nest Series

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My next series focuses on the emotions and challenges parents experience while dividing their capacities between career and family. So far, I have 5 paintings in queue and am interested in adding to it! I always prefer to use real people and real experiences for my subject matter. Follow this series on my Instagram!

@carajeanmeans #nestseries

“Enough Already?”, Acrylic, 24 x 36

This self portrait represents all of the things I am balancing with  my art, my marriage (now ex-marriage), my parenting, my womanhood, and my career. The expression on my face should evoke a sense of desperation, pleading and exhaustion as after all of my work I'm often left feeling like...is that enough? Is it good? Did it work?

“Funnel”, Acrylic on Canvas

As part of my "Nest" series on parenting, KRCL DJ and co-host of RadioACTive wanted to express his desire to hear and represent the needs of Salt Lake communities and his own children at the same time.

“This Will Do”, Acrylic on Board, 24 x 30

I feel like I really leveled up with this one. Which, unfortunately, makes me think that now all the other ones look bad! This is part of the nest series and loosely based on a dream that my ex-mother-in-law had. It's about "getting caught with your pants down" or as I like to think if it, getting caught being unprepared, making a mistake, or just being awkwardly human, but choosing to gather up your responsibilities and move on with them!

Temporary Mural

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I was asked to paint a temporary mural in South Salt Lake, and area that will soon be redeveloped. This is on the corner of Main and Bower by Winco. If you look closely you should see something spelled out in the flowers. Can you find it??

Another Blueprint

I have been wanting to make this image for a while and finally decided to just do it for myself. Turtles make me very happy. Someday, when I’m an old lady, I want an actual turtle farm in my backyard. It might be easy to misunderstand this image and think that the bee is controlling the tortoise. But have you met a tortoise? They don’t exactly get told what to do. They are, in fact, working together, as the title suggests.

Harrington Center, American Fork, UT

I was asked to participate in the first round of mini mural installations at the Harrington Center for the Arts in American Fork. This 8’ x 8’ mural on board is installed in the exterior lawn and will be for six months after which it will be auctioned.

Upcoming Show

If you didn't have a chance to see my premiere show at Art Access here's another chance to see it!

August 16-September 26

George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Gallery , Center for Arts & Media. South City Campus 1575 S State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115

Click HERE for more information, including gallery hours. 

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