About

Where are you from?
I inhabit a beautiful wooded corner of the Ozarks, USA–minutes away from the creative community of Joplin, Missouri. Born to a secluded family of artists carving an unconventional path through life, I was meant to create and rarely finish a week without doing just that.

What is your academic background?
My parents’ example and teaching laid the foundation of my creative journey. My father, a world-renowned woodcarver, encouraged technical excellence in art and a closeness with nature. My mother, a seamstress and entrepreneur, passed down her creativity and resilient zest for living. Life, hands-on experience and the great creative masters continue to be my teachers.

What got you creating?
I’ve always had an irrepressible need to work with my hands, whether art, jewelry-making, sewing or woodcraft. Drawing was a retreat for me from teenage struggles. After my daughter was born in my twenties, I found hope and relief from Post-partum Depression in nature, prayer, and art. I used my little bits of quiet time to draw and paint, slowly piecing myself back together. Curiosity is a constant driver in my work, especially about the beauty and complexity of nature–witnessing the great work of the original Creator. If my art can inspire curiosity and wonder in others, or help to share a better understanding of the joy and pain that lives within each of us, I have done the work I was put here for.

What art do you create?
I typically create series of related pieces, my style ever-evolving. The art of illustration is dear to me, and some of my work has a storytelling aspect. This is combined with my love of nature–and a dash of hippie-psychedelia.

I’ve worked in everything from watercolor to wood ash, but I especially enjoy the unique, versatile medium of oil pastel. It’s a relative newcomer to the art world. Like oil paint in a crayon, it has rich color and smooth but sculptural texture. My other love is ebru marbling: a joyful, messy 800-year-old art form made “new” again in the medium of acrylics.

What challenges you in your art?
In every medium, my Autism inspires a fascination for detail and pattern-seeking, and drives me to be the best I can be. Healing from physical challenges such as major joint surgeries, necessitates a methodical approach with frequent breaks and reflection. And past traumas have helped me see perspectives that I may not have otherwise understood. These differences add many facets to my creative experience.

What else do you enjoy?
My family: husband, daughter, cat. Forestry, gardening, paper marbling, research, bike-riding, judo, disaster movies. Naps. Strong coffee and dark chocolate.

How do I order your artwork?
Prints are available here on Fine Art America:
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/2-veronica-carr

Several original works are available. To ask about purchasing an original piece, please email me at vleighcreative@gmail.com