We had the good fortune of connecting with Carol Aust and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carol, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
We’re all naked under our clothes. Everyone I come in contact with, whether they’re a prestigious gallery owner or a dicey person weaving through an opening, they all are incredibly complex with heart-aches and huge joys. I must treat everyone with respect and careful attention, even if they ask stupid questions or know nothing about art.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a figurative painter. I work in acrylics on canvas and wood panels from my studio in Oakland, California. My figurative paintings are emotionally charged narrative fragments which express the human need for connection and belonging and the difficulty of achieving either. Each subject in my paintings is at some critical juncture of a spiritual/psychological journey, traveling though landscapes of expansive clouds, mountains and oceans that reflect a reality beyond myself.

Creating art is like raising children, and just as leaving home is a process, a painting isn’t necessarily finished once I sign the corner. In fact, its life has just begun. When a painting leaves the studio and elicits responses from viewers, the art becomes a living force in the world. Viewers of my work add the next chapter to the unfinished story, explaining why the woman is traveling alone, why the couple is dancing in the clouds, why the party is being held in the desert.

It’s never easy. The self-doubt can be intense. But there’s nothing else I’d rather do.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d ride the ferry to San Francisco and get ice cream at the ferry building.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Ed Aust, has helped me load trucks with art, stretch canvases, photograph paintings, and listen to me complain when I’m tired.

Website: www.carolaust.com

Instagram: carolaustfineart

Facebook: CarolAustFineArt

Other: carolaust.blogspot.com

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.