This client had an opportunity most people don’t. Since she helped me to organize my art studio over the course of 5 hours, she was able to find and set aside bits of text, images, and ephemera that she wanted included in her custom work of art. She is a fascinating woman with a delightful sense of humor, and while I felt I knew enough about her to create the piece (especially with her helping to pick out the visual elements), I still felt a little nervous about the work. I am pleased with how the piece developed and the manner in which all the all her chosen elements were included into the canvas collage. I suppose the work, much like my client herself, is a bit enigmatic, some concepts seem obvious yet hold underlying tones of contradiction to those preconceived expectations. Other aesthetics are far more subtle, however, they still have looming significance.
To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if my client was going to be pleased with this work or not. I do understand that I can’t please everyone, and my confidence in the reaction from the intended recipient of the work does vary from one piece to another. However, I was delighted when she was more than content with her finished piece.
Carly Swenson is an intuitive painter originally from northern Montana. She spent more than a decade working primarily as a mixed media artist before shifting to acrylics. Swenson received a BFA in Visual Arts with an Art History Minor from Bemidji State University. During and after university, she traveled and lived abroad, this included studying in China, traveling throughout Europe and living both in England and the Azores.Swenson’s work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions throughout the US and internationally. Her freelance writing and mixed media journals have been published in nationally distributed art magazines. She has facilitated art workshops for various age groups. Swenson’s work is also included in the permanent art collections of Angra do Heroismo Museum and Bemidji State University (Bemidji, MN). Currently, she lives in St. Paul, MN with a smart little dog and a weird little cat. They’re nice.
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All images (artwork and photography) protected by copyright and belong to Carly Swenson, unless otherwise noted. Any images not owned by Carly Swenson have been used with the consent of the copyright holder. Please do not reuse/publish/edit/copy/etc. any images from this blog without consent of the copyright holder. Thank you for your understanding and respect of artistic integrity.
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Carly Swenson • Intuitive Artist 
A wonderful tapestry of an image.
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Thank you!
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