We recently connected with Carolyn Owen Sommer and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carolyn Owen , thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned a lot through trial and error. My college design classes have been very helpful, but no one did collage in school. Design is the foundation of all art. It was crucial.

Further, reading everything that intrigued me about art making. I learned to do gelli plates, linoleum block printing, eco dye, lots of watercolor special effects from READING articles and books.

Now I’m feeling rusty on figure drawing, and considering auditing a studio at the local junior college.

Carolyn Owen , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I make mixed media artworks, most often collage on canvas. I’m most proud of my design work, which I feel is my strongest area, although others often suggest I’m a colorist.

My work is very detailed in cutting and glueing. I love making collage that looks like reflective surfaces.

The secret about my work is that I hide things within the collage. A viewer would need to get close enough and zero in on the surface to find hidden inclusions.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think the sheer bombardment of the senses with ideas and imagery is what most people don’t understand. I can hardly complete one thought about an emerging artistic idea, when three more are crawling up. This makes completion difficult. It also can be overwhelming to the point of disabling the initial drive, or it can make me work so quickly.

When I’m driven to work I crash when I’m finished with a piece. There is no pacing myself, and others don’t understand the mental exhaustion, even though I frequently work sitting down.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Society could buy real art to support artists, as opposed to prints from chain stores.

When dealing with a creator, pay the asking price instead of asking for a deal.

Be cognizant of the costs of mat, frame, glass, gallery commission, rent, sales tax and income tax. The artist is paying all of the above. The price of the art needs to cover all of that plus provide some bit of profit. I could never pay my self an hourly wage and hope to have affordable sale-able art.

Take an art class for the joy and understanding of art in general.

Contact Info:

• Website: Carolynowensommerart.com
• Instagram: Coartchick
• Facebook: Carolyn Owen Sommer
• Linkedin: Carolyn Owen Sommer

Image Credits
Carolyn Owen Sommer