Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Carola.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I always loved day dreaming and creating. Growing up I was addicted to legos and often ignored the directions to build something completely different other than what the box set was intended for. I spent a good amount of time out in the garage with my dad as well helping him work on things and also building “sculptures” out of materials found in the garage like wood blocks, nails, duck tape, spark plugs, rubber hoses, etc. I had a very active imagination, always looking at objects and seeing them differently and putting them to use in a way that they weren’t meant to be used. Years later when my family got its first computer, there was a drawing program on there called “Microsoft Paint”… this was a life changer! I used it for many years to create various drawings and continued to use it through the late ’90s where in high school I was creating logos for my friends who were starting companies. This led me to the Art Institute of Houston to obtain a degree in Graphic Design. In was half way through those college years that I was really Introduced to fine art… something I started to dabble in but didn’t take seriously.
After graduating in 2004, I went to work for a printing company who needed someone to set up files and create various graphics. I enjoyed the job however my love for fine art started to explode. Creating art provided everything that creating graphics did yet was more fulfilling as it was purely my inspiration behind it as opposed to a customer-driven outcome. After ten years in the graphic design world and creating my art at night, I decided to quit my job to put more focus on my art career.
Please tell us about your art.
I examine pre-existing structures with the intent to locate and extract “hidden” imagery that lies from within them. An outcome is often an object that is whimsical in appearance yet believed to have representational value. The overall process is a look into structural versatility and perception, along with the power of imagination and how it allows us to connect with ambiguous imagery and generate meaning.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
You need to love what you do. Your work will suffer if you don’t have a passion for it. That is true in any field. I think it’s important to create something unique as well… or at least attempt to. Push yourself and your vision to create something interesting. There are endless amounts of artist and artwork out there, and if you wish to stand out among them, then you must have something different to offer. Bottom line… never settle and always look deeper.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My studio is located in Houston at the “Silos.” We have open studio visits once a month, and everyone is welcome to come out and walk around to all the different artist studios. I stay active on Instagram as well (@paulcarola.art).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.paulcarola.com
- Instagram: @paulcarola.art
Image Credit:
Paul Carola
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