Artist Carrie Marill alongside a detail of Violet Green Swallow 2007, gouache on paper with collage, 5" X 7"

Friday is here again, and so that must mean another glimpse into the life of a 20x200 artist. Today we will get to know Carrie Marill a little bit better. Carrie will be having a solo show at Jen Bekman Gallery in September, so now you'll have no problem striking up a conversation with her at her opening.

Enjoy!

It's clear from you participation in 20x200 that you're interested in making art available in affordable ways--what is your philosophy on this?

Obtaining and living with art shouldn't be a privilege.

How has participating in 20x200 helped your art career?

A lot of interest has come from the site and steered people to my website which has been sweet! Wish I had an assistant to respond to all the emails.

Do you collect art?

Yes! I love my Leigh Merrill photographs, Jeremy Bridell ceramics, Collin Chillag paintings and Melinda Bergman painting and sculptures.

Belted Kingfisher 2007, gouache on paper with collage, 5" X 7"

Which 20x200 artists do you most enjoy, and why?

The first one, which pops into my head, is Joseph O. Holmes, his photographs have beautiful light (his photos make New York seem so clean) and I like his compositions. I find that I want to follow him around and watch what he notices about city life.

When did you first feel a calling to be an artist?

This is gonna sound incredibly cheezy and cliche but I've always known I would somehow work in the arts. I tried working in the theater, museums and teaching but none have felt right. I would have done something science related--I loved the concepts, but I sucked at the math. I've found that working at my own pace, and creating pieces that I thoroughly enjoy, is the most satisfying job for me at this point in my life.

Newfoundland 4, 2007, gouache on paper, 10" X 7"

The Secular Life of Icebergs, 2006, gouache on paper, 9" X 12"

If I were to walk into your art studio right this minute, what would be the first thing I'd notice?

A sweet 3 legged dog named Sopha City.

What are you working on now?

Working on some gouache and egg tempra drawings for my debut nyc solo show at Jen Bekman Gallery in September. I have an affinity for extremely flat paint and these two types top the list, plus I have a paper fetish and these mediums seem to float when worked onto paper.

Grackles, acrylic on linen, 2008, 20" X 20"

Do you have a favorite painter?
Botanical Illustrations, Natural History Illustration, Japanese and Chinese Landscape painting, Native art, Van Gogh, Agnes Martin, Cy Twombly, Monique Prieto, Elizabeth Peyton, Miro, Arp, Vermeer, Seurat, Sargent and Romaine Brooks I could go on and on.

Favorite photographers?

Uta Barth, Walker Evans, Brooke White and pretty much anything from National Geographic.

Favorite musicians?

Brian Eno, Radiohead, Wilco, Beethoven, Belle & Sebastian, M. Ward, Dub and lots of ambient music.

And authors?

Haruki Murakami, Barbara Kingsolver, Tom Robbins and Edith Wharton.

How do the above influence/inspire your art?

I have noticed that all of these things inadvertently affect me, but the two most deliberate things I do to inform my work are to spend time outdoors and visit the library (often come across something I wasn’t looking for). I find that being curious about my surroundings and doing research on things that I am interested in are some of the best ways I attain new information to inform bodies of work.

Where else do you draw inspiration from?

Plants, animals, perspective drawings and biomorphic abstraction.

A dream can reconstruct the world, 2006, gouache on paper, 30" X 40"

What are you looking forward to?

Barack Obama and coffee in the morning.

Lastly, what would an ideal day include for you?

For the summer I am staying with some friends in beautiful tree-lined Seattle (escaping the heat of Arizona). They have graciously let us (husband, dog and cat) crash in their basement.

Most ideal days go like this but not necessarily in this order: breakfast, walk the dog (cat follows), check email, work on drawings, bike to coffee, read, garden, eat, distract myself with household tasks, draw, walk, hang out with friends, eat and sleep.

Sounds like a lush life to me!
Carrie's 20x200 edition prints:
The Faceted Couroucou
A Dream World Glimmers In The Background Of The Soul
Carrie's site