[Art] by Carmen Jackie

[KELP JOURNAL] Carmen these paintings are lovely. So bright and fun. You mentioned that they are a series that commemorates the California coastline. What inspired such a commemoration?   

[CARMEN JACKIE] Thank you so much! I am inspired by the California coastline and how the color of the ocean adds the perfect backdrop to these unique properties. I began this series before the Palisades and Altadena fires and continuing to paint this series is the only way I could cope with the grief I felt by seeing how much natural beauty was destroyed in such a short amount of time.

[KJ] These paintings have a very Pop Art feel, a little like Ed Ruscha, and that feels very “Californian”. Do you have a favorite era of art? 

[CJ] I adore the Pop Art and Impressionism eras. I think that when I paint, I try to add as many pops of color as I can. I change the house colors, and I don’t intend to accurately replicate what the original colors are, but in a way, I am imagining what that space would look like if I lived there. I am just painting my own fairy tale settings. Hilary Pecis is a new artist that inspired me to pick up my brushes again because her art is uniquely Californian as well.

[KJ] You are also a writer, and I am always so curious if you feel the different media influence one another and how that plays into your art?

[CJ] I am working on illustrating my own stories and poetry. Painting is a way I can express myself without words. Being bilingual and growing up in Southern California allowed me to communicate with more people in everyday life. In a way, art is its own language, and it can take a viewer to another place even if it’s just for a moment.

Writer and Artist Carmen Jackie is originally from Mexico and received her MFA from the University of California, Riverside. Most of Carmen Jackie’s published short stories are set in Southern California. She has started a series of paintings that honor the California coast. “California Staircase”, which is the one featured here, is the first painting in the series. When she is not in her studio, she enjoys teaching college students how to paint. To see more of her art follow her on Instagram: @mrs.carmen_jackie