Mindy Carlson

About 2 years ago a friend of mine came to me with a request. A commission for an actual piece of art. By me. I was flattered and eager.  I took a long time sketching and finally grid-designing 4 individual wall hanging representing the four seasons.

Each piece is 32-inches wide by 60-inches tall. Each has colors that reflect the stark differences in the seasons, but that coordinate so the colors flow from one season to another.

The twisting spiral of Fall represents falling leaves. The brown earthy tones make a good neutral canvas for the flaming leaves. The white in the spiral also foretells the coming of Winter.

Here we have Summer.  When I think of summer I think of fields of peonies that were grown outside of the town I grew up in.  They were riotous cacophonies of color and I loved to stare at them.  This panel captures the joy and the rich and bountiful color of those peony fields at full summer.

To me spring is a season of hope and promise.  The fiddlehead of a fern breaks through the ground and starts unfurling toward the sky – the opposite movement of Fall.  Flowers are starting to bloom.  Not as many as we see in mid-summer and more delicate and gentle in their joy.  A quiet green starts to flood the meadows.

With winter comes the snow.   Snowflakes come swirling out of the dark night sky and the wind blows them across the yards, creating thick blankets of white crystals.  If you look carefully you can see the path of a single snowflake floating down out of the night sky.

And a few thank yous are in order. First, a thank you to Cate and John Neely who commissioned these pieces. This was a tremendous opportunity to stretch my artistic wings in a new direction. Second, a huge thank you to Michelle Ruzicka. She is not only a superb sister-in-law and awesome friend, she also helped to piece out and sew together Spring and Fall. I could never have accomplished this without her.  Third, a loving thank you to my husband, Mark Carlson, who supported me and kept the kids entertained and out of my hair while I worked.

We will be christening these pieces at our Accessories Trunk Show on December 14 and 15th. 2:30  until 6:00 pm both days.  Please come by and see them in person and raise a glass to my very first public art installation!