Carlee Bollin is a fine artist and art teacher living in Dayton, Ohio. Growing up, she enjoyed taking on various creative projects, from sewing to drawing with sidewalk chalk. She didn’t become interested in pursuing art as a career until high school, where she discovered her passion for painting. From there, she attended Bowling Green State University to major in Art Education and Fine Art. She felt the need for more studio time, and went on to continue her education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale to achieve her Masters in Fine Art. Since graduating in 2013, she has continued to push her studio practice to give herself room for experimentation as well as developing more thorough and refined finished art pieces.
Excerpt of Artist Statement:
The element of control is the concept that encompasses much of my work, as I constantly endure the effects that control (or the lack thereof) has on my life each day. My works have become an outlet for expressing personal thoughts and anxiety in a visual manifestation, and have been a way for me to accept that we have influence, but little control, over our lives and the choices we make. The fact that our lives are always changing is both the best and worst part about living, and is something I am learning to cope with and work through by way of my creative practice.
Even though this realization may feel heavy, I also feel that perspective is a big part of how we choose to evolve as people. Many of my art pieces contain vibrant colors that suggest positivity and optimism. I feel that my outlook on life is generally positive, and that there is a lot to look forward to. Although I spend time dreading bad things that could happen, I spend more time looking ahead to the things that can go right. Although we cannot control what happens to us, we do have control over one thing- our reaction.
