Carolyn Albracht - Artist, Educator, Blue Cat Owner

My current works are created with watercolor and Prismacolor markers, a combination I stumbled upon several years ago when I first created a series of drawings done solely with Prismacolor markers. I found that the markers were transparent, as were the watercolors, and together I could create layered images that were much more visually appealing to me than using the markers alone. I enjoy the accidental quality of creating different effects with the watercolors, and the addition of the very controlled and deliberate marking of the Prismacolors to create finished images. The mediums together reflect my interest in contrast and contradiction, and the layered effect reflects my view of life and the world around me as it communicates ideas of interconnectedness. More recently I have been adding other media to my paintings, such as embroidery thread, acrylic paint, and collage elements, adding more visual appeal and adding to the intended communication of layers as metaphor for my world view.

The series of works featured here are compositions culled from imagery I create intuitively while doodling and listening to music. When I sit down to create a doodle, I try not to consciously direct the images that spill forth from my pens. In this way, I view them as a kind of creative temperature-taking. Those that seem to have a strong composition and aesthetically pleasing imagery suggest that my mind is in an optimal place for creative mark-making, while others that are not so pleasing suggest to me that my creative mind is temporarily being pushed aside while I focus on other aspects of life. In a sense, the practice of creating these doodles reflects a striving for balance, which I hope is conveyed in the finished mixed-media watercolor paintings I create.

Carolyn Albracht - Artist, Educator, Blue Cat Owner

Mixed-Media WATERCOLOR Paintings

Curriculum Vitae

Art Goal: 50 by 50

Personal Art Goal: Getting Work into Juried Exhibitions in All 50 US States by 2026

50 X 50: ARTWORKS & WHERE THEY'VE BEEN