Today we’d like to introduce you to Eilene Carver.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Eilene. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in South Texas. Climbing trees, hiking and making stuff all the time; forts, cardboard constructs, large murals and any craft kit you could find at the local dime store. I come from a family of creatives; my mom could design and sew anything just from a picture. My grandfather designed decorative wrought iron furniture, trellises, and gates that he welded himself. However, it probably was my grandmother, Duke’, an oil painter, who most inspired me to be an artist. She was the first woman on either side of my family to hold a college degree and paint professionally.
While pursuing a degree in commercial design at Baylor, I learned how naturally painting came to me. I went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts from UC Berkeley. There, I had the privilege of working closely with Joan Brown, a key Bay Area figurative painter. She was a sole support for my consistent need to have a message behind my work. She helped me to realize I could strike a balance to achieve my primary desires; painting, teaching, and motherhood, stating, “Don’t let anyone discourage you from what your heart yearns for, the experience will give your art all the more depth.”
I began exhibiting my work and teaching courses during my years in the San Francisco area; teaching nights at the Richmond Art Center, days at Napa Valley College and painting on my days off. I then returned to Texas to continue my career as a fine arts educator while simultaneously pursuing a professional painting practice and raising three kids with my husband, Kirk. It can be challenging to find that balance, but I feel fortunate every day that I am making it work.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Balancing family and career isn’t simple in any profession. As an artist, you answer to yourself and your personal goals. The constant fight for studio time developed my resolve and commitment to my work. When my children were young, other moms went to the mall after dropping off their kids at pre-school, I went home to the studio.
I believe the gifts that make me excel in all three areas of my life overlap and feed one another. Awareness, sensitivity and striving for improvement are qualities that are necessary for painting, teaching, and parenting. I also think it is helpful that I may be a little hyperactive; I have lists upon lists every day, I never sit still, and I wouldn’t be happy any other way.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Houston Carver Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
I have always seen art as a mirror which I can reflect my personal thoughts and observations. Painting is my sincerest form of communication. I specialize in rendered oil paintings of unique still life’s. I love to work in series, expressing a concept in various ways.
I have a personal response to familiar objects which I then reflect in my work. I enjoy flea marketing, junking, always looking for eclectic treasures. I love expressing the human connection we have with objects in our surroundings, how they trigger a memory or signify an experience. I create combinations of objects that symbolically express a narrative. These are generally depicted with vintage articles that have had an imprint on me. I hold hope that my work resonates with others, resulting in connections to their experience. This is a big part of why I truly love commission work. I find it a privilege to help others tell their story: through dialogue, we come up with the objects, color, and mood to portray a personally meaningful piece of art. I fully agree with Aristotle, as he states “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. “
I have been fortunate to have received awards and been included in regional & national exhibitions since 1986, including such venues as The Women’s Museum of Dallas, Laguna Gloria Museum in Austin, Berkeley Arts Center, San Antonio Museum of Art, and the San Francisco MOMA, Artist’s Gallery. I have taught Drawing and Painting at Collin College since 2006.
I am probably most proud of myself for addressing the tragic effects of gun violence in my series entitled ‘Targets’. This is a tough subject for a ‘Texas-girl’ to depict and departs greatly from my usual work. I’m not anti-gun, I simply believe there should be better regulations to reduce gun violence.
This series is intended to confront individuals with the reality of personal loss and ignite a sense of empathy for the families and victims beyond the ’24-hour news cycle’. I would like to see these paintings stir emotions, spur dialogue and provoke impactful change regarding this complicated dilemma. I believe if this issue is ignored, we are all possible ‘Targets.’
This May in Dallas, I did a pop-up art show outside the NRA national convention and presented about 10 of my 40 works and enjoyed lively, respectful dialogue with individuals on all sides of the gun debate. This is proof that art builds bridges and opens hearts.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Never giving up. Painting what sincerely matters to me in each given season of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://houstoncarverfineart.com/
- Phone: 214-293-8659
- Email: eilenecarver@outlook.com
Image Credit:
Katie Price photography, Max Faulkner Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TNS via Getty Images, KERA Courtney Collins twitter page
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