a r t i s t   s t a t e m e n t

CAROL CRAIGLOW NICOLA

"FIGURATIVE WORKS"
I am intrigued by the universal experience of human life on earth – our origins, our evolution and what may lie beyond the physical plane in which we exist. From my studies of the earth, I know that our time on earth is just a blink in the overall timeline, but we frequently lose sight of that perspective.

I often incorporate earth imagery – casts of fossilized ripple marks and mud cracks as evidence of our watery origins, along with the earliest fossil marine life, and dinosaur footprints that give literal evidence of earth’s past. I use symbols as well – such as the vertical wavy pattern to represent water – because earth, alone in our solar system, is the water planet.

I use the spiral symbol frequently because spiral patterns are found at all scales in the universe – from subatomic particle tracks, to our fingerprints, to swirls in our spiral galaxy.

Spirals show that we are all connected to something much larger than the physical plane that occupies our time. I sculpt people with spiral imagery, or other ethereal markings, to symbolize an imagined spirit realm beyond the present physical plane.

These sculptures are meant to be meditative reminders of the spiritual plane of existence.

"ABSTRACT WORKS"
My abstract works employ ancient symbols and subtle, minimalist markings. These sculptures are designed to calm and focus the conscious mind, pointing us to the next dimension beyond the physcial plane we know.