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Paintings and Fine Art |
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Carrie Baxter is a Midwest-based artist, originally from northwest Illinois and now also working in central Indiana. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Painting, graduating Summa Cum Laude, along with a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Northern Illinois University. Her work has been featured in juried and group exhibitions across the Midwest.
Carrie’s practice draws inspiration from the overlooked and often disregarded elements of nature. By incorporating tactile surfaces and layered textures, she creates a psychological tension within the viewer. Her paintings invite a visceral response—provoking the impulse to reach out and touch their ridges and grooves—while simultaneously reminding the audience of the unspoken rules of viewing art. This push and pull between desire and restraint places the viewer in a moment of conflict, heightening their awareness of their own sensory boundaries and the intimate relationship between the artwork and the observer. |
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Artist Statement
My encaustic paintings explore the delicate and often complicated relationship between humans and the natural world. Using molten beeswax mixed with pigment, I apply multiple layers of translucent and semi-translucent wax, fusing each one with heat. This process creates a sense of depth and atmosphere, allowing colors and textures to visually merge—evoking the layered complexity of the environment itself.
The subject matter of my work draws from natural forms and patterns, referencing landscapes, ecosystems, and organic structures. I am especially interested in the ways humans interact with the environment—how we live among other life forms, and how our presence, whether intentional or not, leaves a lasting impact. Nature is both powerful and resilient, yet it bears the imprint of human influence even in our absence. Through this work, I aim to invite quiet reflection on our shared responsibility to the world we inhabit and the interconnectedness of all living things.
My artistic practice is inspired by open spaces and elements of the natural world, and I love translating them into textured surfaces that activate psychological tension within the viewer. By constructing paintings that evoke an almost irresistible tactile response, my work challenges the conventions of art viewing. The ridges, grooves, and layered textures provoke a desire to touch, while the social contract of the gallery space demands restraint. This friction between sensory impulse and social expectation situates my work within a dialogue about the embodied experience of art, blurring the boundary between visual and haptic perception. - Carrie Baxter
The subject matter of my work draws from natural forms and patterns, referencing landscapes, ecosystems, and organic structures. I am especially interested in the ways humans interact with the environment—how we live among other life forms, and how our presence, whether intentional or not, leaves a lasting impact. Nature is both powerful and resilient, yet it bears the imprint of human influence even in our absence. Through this work, I aim to invite quiet reflection on our shared responsibility to the world we inhabit and the interconnectedness of all living things.
My artistic practice is inspired by open spaces and elements of the natural world, and I love translating them into textured surfaces that activate psychological tension within the viewer. By constructing paintings that evoke an almost irresistible tactile response, my work challenges the conventions of art viewing. The ridges, grooves, and layered textures provoke a desire to touch, while the social contract of the gallery space demands restraint. This friction between sensory impulse and social expectation situates my work within a dialogue about the embodied experience of art, blurring the boundary between visual and haptic perception. - Carrie Baxter
