Stacey Carlson
Watercolor, Mixed Media, Printmaking, Acrylic
Who are you and how does that show up in your work?
My paintings begin with quiet moments in the landscape. Watching distant rain move across the plains, light shift along a mountain ridge, or standing beside water that holds a deeper sense of time and presence for me. Rather than documenting a specific place, I seek to capture the atmosphere and emotional resonance of these experiences through my travels. Through layered color, light, and expressive mark-making, I invite viewers to pause and reconnect with the sense of wonder and stillness found in the natural world.
My work reflects the lasting impressions left by places encountered along my own journey, transforming memory and observation into landscapes that are as much felt as they are seen.
What draws you to making art in the first place?
I create art because it helps me slow down and notice the quiet moments that are often overlooked in life. It helps me to remember who I am. Spending time in nature has always been restorative for me, and painting allows me to reflect on those experiences and share that sense of peace with others. My hope is that my work offers viewers a place to breathe and reconnect with the landscape in a personal way.
Most of my paintings begin with a memory rather than a photograph. I think about a place that impacted me somehow, perhaps the way morning light settled across a prairie or the feeling of standing beside a waterfall. I start with loose watercolor washes to establish mood and atmosphere, then gradually build layers, allowing the painting to evolve while leaving room for spontaneity.
How do you usually start a piece?
How do you know when a piece is finished?
In many ways, it tells me it is finished when it begins to communicate the feeling I was trying to capture. I look for a sense of balance and quiet, and I stop before adding details that don't strengthen the work. Sometimes that means setting a painting aside for a day or two and returning with fresh eyes before deciding it is complete.
I'm most inspired by the landscapes of the countryside and the quiet moments found while traveling along the backroads. Wide-open prairies, distant mountains, changing skies, and places shaped by history all find their way into my work. Rather than painting specific locations, I'm interested in expressing the emotions those places evoke like stillness, resilience, hope, and a sense of journey.