ABOUT

Carrie Nardello is a fine art painter living and working in her studio at Project Artaud, San Francisco’s longest self-sustained artist collectives. Originally from New York City, Nardello relocated to the West Coast to attend the San Francisco Art Institute, where she received her BFA in painting.

A member of the Art Director’s Guild (local 800), Carrie has recently shifted from painting scenery at the San Francisco Opera to focus solely on her personal work.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Self-expression has always come easily to me. Making art has been a constant from an early age. Open to multiple artistic disciplines, my art has taken many forms. Through all of my years of filmmaking, set painting, sculpting, and craft making, I have always painted. Painting for me is innate and the most immediate of all the disciplines. It is also the medium that challenges me the most.

There is a sense of curiosity and trepidation when I face a blank canvas. The key to overcoming this is to simply just start. I begin with marks of color, sometimes in oil paint, other times in acrylic, with each medium having its unique temperament and approach. As I draw with the paint, shapes, and symbols emerge. Easily recognizable images such as tables, chairs, beds, houses, animals, and elements, come to life as the painting reveals itself. Personal narratives bubble up and surface in the visual vocabulary that has become my signature lexicon. Intentionally childlike, with bold bright colors and simple forms, my work aims to capture a spirit of playfulness and unfiltered emotion.

While my work is deeply personal in its creation, I find it important that the form of address is not limited to my voice. I want people who view my work to see themselves in it, to connect to their imagination, and to listen to their inner voices. I encourage them to question, “What does this imagery remind me of, and what stories does it evoke within me?” I believe that experiencing art is a catalyst for self-reflection and an invitation to explore one’s inner world.

Art is inherently subjective, and every viewer’s perspective is unique and valid. By nurturing a sense of autonomy and individuality in the viewer, I aspire to foster an environment where art becomes a profoundly personal and enriching experience. This enables each person to trust their perceptions and to find meaning and resonance with the work.