Then I read her Etsy profile and knew I had found a woman after my own heart. Here’s how she describes her work…
I make unique, accessible, quality accents for your interiors, things I like to see in my own space: joyful things, bold, simply composed, spirited things.
I’ve got a special place in my heart for depicting unsung heroes of the animal kingdom, critters that adapt and survive in our midst. I also love to work with sign, symbol and diagram.
You can read the interview below...
What do you see as our relationship to the natural world and the rest of the animal kingdom?
We may not always understand our place in it, but I firmly believe we are an intrinsic part of the animal kingdom. Granted, we spend a lot of time using technology to separate ourselves from the natural world. But I say thank goodness because we don't have warm fur to protect us from the cold and our babies take so long to grow up! If I had to raise my son Felix in the jungle, he and I would've been eaten by a tiger long ago.
I think technology is both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes it's the very thing we need, while at other times it seems to take us closer to our destruction. But this in itself is natural, really. All species experiment to find the best means to survive and prosper.
I think technology is both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes it's the very thing we need, while at other times it seems to take us closer to our destruction. But this in itself is natural, really. All species experiment to find the best means to survive and prosper.
man-made man print by floodplain studio
I love that there is something almost scientific about many of your pieces. There is so much realism. And then you throw in a depiction of a jackalope. Would you say you see the world through more of a scientific lens or with the hope that anything is possible?
Both! At the bottom of the ocean floor scientists are discovering new animals every day, animals that require no sunlight and can survive in freezing cold water by living near geothermal vents.
I live in the desert, and at first glance it looks barren, but it's actually teeming with life. Harsh environments aren't explored as much as pleasant ones. Who knows what's out there in the desert, or deep in the jungle, or way below in the cave?!
I live in the desert, and at first glance it looks barren, but it's actually teeming with life. Harsh environments aren't explored as much as pleasant ones. Who knows what's out there in the desert, or deep in the jungle, or way below in the cave?!
Where do the inspirations for “How It Eats” and “How It Stands” come from? Are they your own questions that you answer through your art?
My Etsy work is all about striking a balance. I love contemporary drawing but so often it comes across way too serious or a bit stodgy. A good drawing should entertain people, make them laugh or ponder a bit. I like a strong visual punch, so I use formal aspects of contemporary drawing, but I never try to purge my stuff of what might be considered kitschy or lowbrow or folk or whatever.
Both of those drawings are meant to be a bit silly, but also beautiful in an unusual kind of way. And it goes back to each species ability to adapt: the process a cow goes through to digest otherwise inedible food astounds me! They say truth is stranger than fiction.
Both of those drawings are meant to be a bit silly, but also beautiful in an unusual kind of way. And it goes back to each species ability to adapt: the process a cow goes through to digest otherwise inedible food astounds me! They say truth is stranger than fiction.
"how it stands," original ink drawing by floodplain studio
0908, original microcosmigram by floodplain studio
Any other insights or interesting notes on your work you would like to share?
Not really, other than to thank you for featuring me on your beautiful blog and to tell you that your children's clothing line is wonderful. And I want to encourage everyone to visit our little shops and other little shops on Etsy. It's a place where us little guys with big ideas can adapt and even thrive amidst the big box/big brand dinosaurs.
doodle head 8x8 print by floodplain studio
Cara, and her work, are a delight. To find out more about her work, visit her at any of the links below...
Blog: www.carawalz.wordpress.com
Next week we'll chat with Jane of Hazel Village about her self-described "woodland animal cottage industry."
For the complete Who Is Art series, click here or let us know if your work has a story to tell!
Next week we'll chat with Jane of Hazel Village about her self-described "woodland animal cottage industry."
For the complete Who Is Art series, click here or let us know if your work has a story to tell!
Much (Petal) Love,
Brianne
PetalPetal designs and VintageChild:Modern
2 comments:
She has a wonderful way of depicting this world :)I love the drawing of the cow.
i love the jackalope image. these remind me of an art history class i took in my third year undergrad and one of my fellow classmates described how she wanted to be a medical artist and i didn't get it until she showed us her drawings...it was truly art. science...but art.
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