An Inspired Chat with Carla Golembe

We recently had the chance to connect with Carla Golembe and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carla, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
There are a few things that make me lose track of time and find my true self again. Not always, but they take me away from the mundane and into the magical, the core of being. The first is painting. It is oftern transcendent. When I fall into a painting it’s like I’m in another world. I become completely involved with the color, the composition, the imagery and the emotion of the paintning. And when difficulties arise I become involved with the problem solving, which is a whole aspect of painting; making things work when they don’t. That’s very satisfying.

Teaching is another. I love teaching about painting, about artists, about creating. I am fortunate to have wonderful adult students. They keep growing as artists and have a lot to say. There’s a lot of learning in my classes and we also have fun and community. Teaching on Zoom is great because my students live in different places.

Travel and dance also can take me to that state of being.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an acrylic painter and teacher of acrylic painting. I’m a hands on artist who loves the feel of working with materials and the creative process. My imagery is stylized and figurative and reflects how I perceive in the world and how I’m influenced by my life and the world around me. I’ve been an artist all my life and have been a printmaker and children’s book illustrator and author. Teaching has always been a part of what I do because I enjoy sharing what I love with others and helping them to fall in love with the creative process

I’m an older painter/person. My approach to the creation of art and the art business is “old school” for lack of a better term. I use quality materials and I’m not interested in digital imagery. Paint is yummy. It’s a joy to put it on canvas. It’s a joy to express myself. My imagery and markmaking are unique and my work is intuitive, emtional and expressive.

I’m not as savvy as I could be about marketing but everything I do is from the heart.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child I believed I could do anything. I felt invulnerable. I wasn’t a daredevil but I just assumed I could live in this world as an artist even when people told me that wasn’t practical. That served me well because all these years later here I am and I have been an artist all my life and earned my living by making art and teaching it.

But I also believed, when I was a child, that everything would always be okay. That people would always be kind, that things would always work out. That everwhere was safe and that everything was an adventure with a good ending. This is not reality, not anyone’s reality who has lived a seasoned life. I know now that we are all vulnerable and that life presents us all with both joy and sorrow, with triumphs and difficulties. Life is amazing and also heartbreaking. Life is a gift and the price we pay for that gift is our fragility.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has taught me compassion and given me more depth as a person and as an artist. Suffering has made me understand more not only about myself but about others. It has allowed me take an extra moment to connect with strangers when our paths cross even for a brief minute. To say hello when you pass someone on the street. To thank someone working at a store or wish people a nice day, to make someone smile.

An an artist I have chosen to transform the difficult times in my life into imagery that conveys beauty, strength and hope. Sometimes this isn’t easy. There have been times where I’ve wanted to just throw paint at a canvas and slash it. But that’s really not what I’m about as a painter or a person. Often the process takes time to channel pain into imagery that touches the heart and allows the viewer to interpret it.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, the public version of me is the real me. I’m not good at pretending. I’ve always been who I am and I don’t know how to or want to be anyone else. Being true to oneself is an important value to me, both in myself and in other people. I’m a person, not a persona. This is also true of the people I’m close to. I don’t particularly care about fads or trends or being impressive. The best one can be is to be who you really are.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
This is something I’ve thought about and, in a way, something I’ve fantasized about. I think I’d be purely me. If I didn’t have possesions I’d find a way to make art, even if it was by drawing in the dirt. I would talk to people and admire the beauty in nature. As far as my role I’d just be a person, a woman who interacts with others and they could assign me whatever role they’d like.
It’s always been a fantasy to live in a hotel room (like Matisse) with very little (but some art supplies for sure) because often the possessions are just trappings. I think I’d be fine with it and happy with it. But I would like to be somewhere where there were a few good people and a bit of food and wine!

What would remain would be my heart and soul, my mind

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carlagolembe.com
• Instagram: carlagolembe
• Facebook: Carla Golembe Painter/Illustrator

Image Credits
Carla Golembe