Artist Profile: Carla E Reyes

Carla E Reyes 

Artist: Carla E. Reyes
Business name: carlacrafts art+interiors
Location: Kew Gardens, Queens, NY

Website: Raandesk Gallery

How do you describe your work, Carla?
The art I make can be described as multi-media painting, textural abstraction, collage, sculptural painting, low relief collage paintings, modern primitive art, nature art…

Microbe Series

carlacrafts is my freelance decorative interior business. I design custom surfaces for interiors as well as decorative art objects. I find that crafts and fine art can inform and inspire one another and I like to work decoratively as well as creatively. I don’t see “crafts” as a lower art form.

What is your creative process like?
I can go from hours of obsessive compulsive ritualistic collage work, like layering hundreds of individual toothpicks in a particular configuration; to spontaneously throwing random elements onto the canvas and literally seeing what sticks! I tend to work on the floor with an old paint stained yoga mat for my knees, surrounded by small piles of collage elements and jars of paints and glazes. Literally being knee deep in the art making process instead of at a distance as with easel painting, feels very primal and satisfying in a visceral way, like a child finger painting. At home I have a studio space where multiple canvases are in progress, ready and waiting to be worked on when the mood moves me. At my boyfriend’s place I work in a corner of the living room floor while he geeks out on his computer. We take breaks to visit our corners and check out what the other is up to.

I often do some of my “busy work” (surface prep and mindless layers of texture) on a fold out table in front of the tv. I am always working on various pieces and series simultaneously over a period of time as I feel compelled, to keep them fresh and interesting. I also do spontaneous collages in between more labor intensive or involved works to keep the liveliness and fun of making art going, and to avoid overworking any one piece. There is also a lot of drying time involved in the layering process. I like having a home studio because I am also busy with my work in decorative interiors and other activities, so I am more productive with my art when I can just impulsively grab a brush and do some work on a piece, even between laundry loads!

Sacrificial Bride, in progress

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I began my art training early. I started at ten years old at a traditional oil painting school on weekends. Later I was accepted to a specialized art high school, The Long Island School of the Arts (formerly BOCES Cultural Arts Center), in Syosset, Long Island, NY. It is sort of the suburbs’ answer to LaGuardia School of the Arts; the “Fame” school in NYC. It was a program that trained kids who wanted to be serious artists and we worked from live art models and worked in all mediums.

For college, I went to the School of Visual Arts, NYC, on a partial scholarship for one year, but dropped out in my second year realizing I wasn’t into the whole starving artist thing and thinking I may need a “real” job. For a few years I would go from working full time in a retail or office job, to getting fed up and taking random waitress or part time jobs while trying to paint and get shows. This was exhausting and fruitless.

I eventually got into scenic painting for the theater which was really what inspired the art I make today. Not only was it awesome to work in a studio environment getting covered in paint every day and collaborate with other artists and creative technicians, but the artistic techniques and unconventional materials I was exposed to, really opened me up to new ways of creating. We would have to create organic and manmade surfaces and objects for the stage using textural materials and household items, and just had to be really resourceful as many of the theaters had limited budgets. You had to problem solve and experiment with different materials which I found challenging and creatively stimulating.

Unfortunately, these small theaters and non-union shops didn’t pay well, or were short assignments with no work in between, and I wanted a more stable income. I went back to school at F.I.T., NYC, and got my BFA in Restoration and Fine Arts. The Restoration program, which unfortunately is no longer offered, provided me with so much hands-on exposure to materials from wood, to metal to ceramics, as well as art and decorative art history and connoisseurship. We also had a heavy emphasis on chemistry in order to understand why the materials do what they do.

My artwork became multi dimensional and textural and began to incorporate an unlimited menu of materials and textural collage elements. The work I do today designing surfaces for interior designers and architects in plaster, cement and paints/glazes continues to influence and expand my palette and ways of creating.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
I would be lost without Elmer’s glue, cheap chip brushes, acrylic paint, and sand for texture. A good sea sponge and terry cloth rags are nice to have around too! I’ve also grown to cherish my stainless steel trapezoidal trowel.

Becoming

What inspires you to create?  
I truly see my need to create as an involuntary compulsion I’ve had from childhood that can only be satisfied by the physical experience and meditative quality of art making. I enjoy many activities, but so few come close to the satisfaction of taking an idea and bringing it to life in a tangible form with your own hands, and the process of doing it. There are so many inspirations for art on a daily basis it can be maddening. I keep an idea binder that I draw from and I doubt I will ever execute all these projects before I die, especially if I keep adding to it! I will never suffer from “artist’s block.” I can be inspired by a crusty oxidized metal surface in the subway, a primitive art exhibit, an interesting interior design, a textile, another artist’s work, and of course nature!

I have various series that I have been working on over the past 10 years, and their unifying elements are the textural surface qualities, earthy palettes, and unconventional collage materials. The subject matter ranges from primitivism, to microbiology, to nature, to archeology, to spirituality, to chemistry – all connected through the visual exploration of questions and curiosities we all have as human beings.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
Since I work on multiple pieces at a time- this problem is minimal. If I am frustrated I walk away and work on something else or just give myself a break for a few days. I will eventually miss the piece and want to go back with renewed excitement. I don’t leave anything unfinished or destroy any work anymore. I always go back at some point and resolve it – even if the result is not up to my expectations. I work in series a lot, so I am hopeful that the next one will be better if I learn and work through the problems.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?  
Everyone has different motivations and goals, so my advice and opinion may not be relevant to every creative person. For me over the past few years that I have been creating consistently and contentedly, I have just stayed true to my vision and followed through with each idea. I am very dedicated to my work and try not to think about whether people are going to like it or buy it (although obviously that is ideal!) or whether it fits into a current art trend or genre.

I think art making is about vision, discipline, hard work and perseverance, as well as talent. I also think that getting out in the world and exposing yourself to other things- not just art- really enriches your work and point of view. I think a lot of artists either have a martyr complex or sense of entitlement, and I just have no patience for that. If you want to succeed- you have to make work you believe in and get out there and show it. If you want to live on your art you have to market yourself- even if you are lucky enough to have a gallery as I do, being represented by Raandesk Gallery of Art, based in NYC and on the web. Don’t make excuses. Every time I get a rejection letter from a museum show or grant program I just file it away and get back to my painting and keep going.

Cultivating relationships is really important – not just with art world people. When people like you as a person, they open up to your work and become interested. The ability and willingness to communicate about your work is also crucial. A lot of artists are resistant to talking or writing about their work, but it also helps in the creative process and with your confidence to really understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. Personally I find that having a day job (especially one you like!) takes the pressure off and allows me to work on my art purely for its’ own sake. Lot of artists don’t share this view and feel that a day job drains their creative energy and cuts into their art making time. I think I am part of a small group of artists who can and like to do both.

Urban Impressionism NYC, 3

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
Where do I start? At the moment I work 40+ hours a week running The Studio @DFB, a decorative finishing studio for an interior products company in Long Island City, Queens, NY. I design custom wall surfaces there for interior designers. I also get referrals to do decorative finishing work in private homes on my down time. I am currently enrolled in two professional certificate programs: Color Specialist at F.I.T., NYC, and Interior Decorating and Design at CUNY Queensborough, Bayside, NY. I exercise throughout the week- yoga or bike riding, or just long scenic walks. I like to read art + design magazines as well as fiction. I take ceramic workshops when I can, and just got my own small pottery wheel! This past year I designed and collaborated on a community mural in my neighborhood. Obviously, I like to check out museum shows and go to openings, as well as design events and talks. And of course, most of all I enjoy relaxing and going out with my long time boyfriend, as well as my close friends and family.

What are some of your other favorite things?
I really enjoy exploring the city (NYC) as much as possible. I often take unnecessarily long walks and discover things I’ve never seen despite living here my whole life. There is always something to do and see. I love dining out and ordering in (my oven can double as storage for my rarely used pots and pans!) and trying new restaurants with my boyfriend on the weekend, and girlfriends after work during the week. In the spring, summer, and fall, NYC is a great place to sit in plazas and parks and just relax and take in the energy. I am grateful to live in a city that serves as a constant source of visual stimulation and inspiration for art and life!