Saturday Studio Tour #7 - Artist Cara Walz

Hi there.

Come with me to Arizona to visit with the talented artist Cara Walz.

Visitor by Cara Walz

Cara creates amazing mixed media art which she sells in her Etsy shop FloodPlainStudio. All of the pieces are originals. One of her goals is to make original art available at affordable prices.

Cara is also this week's Thursday Giveaway sponsor, as well as last Thursday's Featured Artist. CLICK HERE to visit Thursday's post and see more of her wonderful artwork. If you leave a comment before noon (EST) on 10/8, you will be entered in a random drawing for the mixed media piece Gazelle.

Gazelle by Cara Walz

Now, I'm going to step out of the way & let Cara tell us more about her amazing art and where she creates it.

Cara: I work with a wide range of materials, but really, I’m always making some sort of drawing, even if its final form is a video, installation or website. While I’m working I fluctuate between a pull from my head and a pull from my heart. When my head’s in charge I tend to work on innovative structure and technical experimentation, like a scientist.

Test Monkey by Cara Walz

Cara: When my heart takes over I’m focused on meaning and expression, like a poet. I’m happiest when a I find a balance between the two, probably because this is where our richest thoughts reside, but I cannot, or will not, control the outcome by purposefully favoring one over the other. The head and the heart both provide valuable insight and I never know which one might offer the best resolution of an idea.

Cara: This shot shows me in my main studio space, which is in this strange outbuilding in my backyard. The guy who built this building rescued birds and visited local schools with them. There are large perches dotted all over the yard, so I think he even housed birds of prey. He used the building to store supplies and food for the birds, and luckily there's a sink for cleanup in there, so it works pretty nicely for me.

Cara: The second shot shows a work table covered with supplies. It's actually kind of cleaned up here. Usually I have to do a bunch of patient sifting-through to find what I'm looking for. What you mainly see here is tons of ink, which is primarily what I work with. I store big amounts of ink washes in the jars.

Cara: The third shot is my dining room, and that's where I make my Etsy stuff. My goal for the Etsy work is to make drawings that everyone can afford. In order to do this, I work small, and I have great light in my dining room, so that's usually where my husband and son find me at the end of the day.Sometimes I even manage to clear off the table and put dinner on it!

Off The Grid by Cara Walz

The pieces shown here are from Cara's etsy shop and her website, carawalz.com. Click on the images or links for more info. She also has a blog, carawalz.wordpress.com where you can about her latest projects.

Deer 1 by Cara Walz

Thank you, Cara, for sharing your thoughts and showing us around your studio!

And thank you, readers for stopping by. While you are here remember leaving a comment will enter you in the Oct. 8th drawing for the mixed media piece Gazelle. If you enjoyed this behind the scenes peek, please stop back next weekend for a new studio tour. Also, I am always looking for new artists & studios to share. All styles of art & spaces are welcome. If you would like to see your art-space featured here, just drop me an email (address is in my profile). Cheers!