Carin Carrion

MAT Teaching + Learning in Art + Design

Live, Laugh, Teach!

Sketch booking is a large part of my creative brainstorming process. A sketchbook can be a realm where there is no need to show an audience, no expectations; it can be a realm indulgent of reflection, memory, and observation. I like to configure moments of memory and patterns I notice in everyday life and find ways to create visual transformations via color, texture, shape, or pattern to exaggerate expression or emotional atmosphere.

In my practice, I feel the idea of the artwork and its material application go hand in hand. Material variety in my work is a way I like to both form visual flows and also emotional connotations, like its application and placement. Artmaking for me often acts as a way to make vessels for memories. These memories are often not reflected in the imagery but in the materials and how they were applied.

From my background in illustration, I have been able to learn and experiment with different media and materials to express ideas of visual storytelling in my work. Painting, comics, zines, art bookmaking, and sculpture are realms of making I like to work in. I find that having different forms of storytelling can provide an opportunity to find creative solutions to express a theme or idea. At the same time, experimenting during the making process as another way to visualize possibilities for where the work can go.