Carlaina Brown

About Carlaina Brown

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My abstract works are densely layered, richly textured meditations on external and internal worlds. My intuitive approach translates my own experiences to the paintings, creating complex and vivacious compositions that brim with color and layers of visual information. My varied use of paints—layered and rearticulated over several months—combines the energy of gestural strokes with the controlled rhythms of drafting and the printlike qualities of stencil work.

Made in series over time, the work moves through countless iterations as I build up gestures in a dynamic tension between flowing forms and bounded space. The compositions brim with juxtapositions of form and color that create a complex texture of woven elements.

I grew up in Sacramento, California, and graduated with degrees in Studio Art from UC Davis and Sacramento State University.  After college, I moved to Bari, Italy where I lived for 22 years. In Italy, I raised a family, taught at the Università degli Studi di Bari, and participated in numerous community-based art projects as well as shows in Europe and the US.

Since moving back to Sacramento, I have established my studio practice at E Street Gallery and Studios in downtown Sacramento.