Carrie L. Larson – In the flow

FOBA 2021 Juried Exhibition

Completed 2021
Editions: 1
Dimensions closed: 2” x 5” x 0.5”
Materials: paper, watercolor, pigment ink, museum board, screw post
Artist resides in Hoquiam, Washington

When I consider where I live, immediately a particular view comes to mind — that of a space where water meets sky, not far from my doorstep, where the Chehalis River opens up into Grays Harbor and empties into the Pacific Ocean, horizon line long and blurry. It’s a liminal, contradictory space, changing yet constant, and speaks to creativity. It is also a sustaining, inspiring place, where my walking route takes me routinely to watch the colors shift with the light and the weather. 

In contemplating a book form to honor this, I wanted a simple structure (easily portable, like the feelings I carry with me after walking there) that gives a nod to the water cycle itself and the idea of flow, while the watercolor palette evokes the emotional effect this place conveys. The form also suggests a designer’s fan of paint samples, which I regularly use in my side hustle as a color consultant. Thus place and identity overlap; I reflect, and manifest, where I live. 

Carrie L. Larson (Hoquiam, Washington)

Carrie, a visual artist living in Hoquiam, Washington, studied at Whitman College. There she was introduced to Book Arts, which became the springboard for all permutations of her art-making. While much of her work takes inspiration from the natural world, her artist books also often explore an internal, emotional landscape. They have been exhibited nationally and are held in the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art collection, as well as various university libraries. 

carriellarson.com