Kathleen Carrier

Like many artists, creating art has been a driving force since I was a child. As an adult, I explored a number of creative options, including being an entrepreneurial  soft-sculpture artist with my own company to being a professional journalist. Now, I’m a mixed-media artist, and transform trash into art through the magic of paper mache.  Using a variety of recyclable elements such as soda cans, newspaper, plastic and cardboard, my works include a range of fanciful creations —— from large-scale lobsters and insects, to  whimsical mermaids, birds, butterflies and even flying pigs —- all made with paper mache and a myriad of cast-off embellishments.

Publicly, I’ve exhibited my work since 2019, starting with an emerging artists show at Carrollwood Cultural Center in North Tampa.  In the fall of 2020, I had my first one-woman art show entitled “Ms. Mantis and the Garden of Whimsy,” a collection of large-scale paper mache insects, at Carrollwood.

Since then, I’ve continued to show my work and have been grateful and fortunate to be accepted into numerous art exhibits in the Tampa Bay area.  I have also won a number of awards, including Best 3-D in the “Fishing for Diamonds” show at Herrig Center for the Arts in 2020; first place in the “Mother Earth” show at Carrollwood in 2020; special merit and honorable mention awards for shows at the Art Center Sarasota and Beach Art Center in Indian Rocks Beach.  Recently, I garnered a second place award for my piece, “Wings of Change,” in the “Always a Bridesmaid” exhibit at Carrollwood.  This year, my work, a giant, paper mache praying mantis was accepted into the “Art of the Garden” exhibit at Florida CraftArt in St. Pete. I’ve also exhibited at Center Place Fine Arts and Creative Junk Therapy in Brandon.