Hi, I'm Carrie. I am an artist, photographer and a professional consumer product designer in the retail space.
I have been pursuing the arts in one form or another since early childhood, and working professionally in consumer product design, graphic design, and creative direction since 2011. I received my B.A. in studio fine arts with an emphasis in drawing and painting from Loyola University Chicago in 2010, and graduated magna cum laude.
After college, I took a position as a Product Development Manager at Bradford Exchange, in their jewelry department. I designed jewelry with a broad range of end customers in mind - everything from bridal sets to collectible Elvis bracelets. In 2014, I left my full time position, but continued working with the Bradford team as a freelance artist. I worked as a freelancer for several years, developing new skills and taking on diverse clients in product design and development.
In 2020, I was hired on at Sophistiplate, a company focused on paper party goods, as a graphic designer. I quickly advanced in this position, and was promoted first to Senior Graphic Designer and then to Creative Director.
I am very proud of the work that I did in that time, building a fantastic design team and developing a signature creative direction for the company's designs as well as leading the styling direction for lifestyle photoshoots. I also learned quite a bit about food styling and began to be interested in photography.
I hand painted the 'Harvest Blues' collection, pictured to the left, which was Sophistiplate's best selling Thanksgiving collection in 2023. Most of the collection sold out.
Early in 2023 I was laid off. This was a difficult time, but I embraced the opportunity to dive back into my creative practice and develop new skills. I became passionate about photography and birding, learning from my father who is a gifted wildlife photographer. My background in painting informs my photos, which are sometimes abstract and impressionistic. I especially love to photograph birds in their natural habitat, and attempt in my photos to delve beyond a simple representation of a species to create a connection with each subject.
In June of 2023 I started a new role as a senior designer at Crystal Art Gallery, a wall decor manufacturing company in Los Angeles. I design wall art for a variety of retail clients, and often create custom art as part of my role. In my free time, I can often be found taking photos of birds as well as the coastal wonders I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by, living near the shore.
In June of 2023 I started a new role as a senior designer at Crystal Art Gallery, a wall decor manufacturing company in Los Angeles. I design wall art for a variety of retail clients, and often create custom art as part of my role. In my free time, I can often be found taking photos of birds as well as the coastal wonders I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by, living near the shore.
