My work is inspired by nature and the paintings I create represent animal-themed concepts, particularly endangered species. As a wildlife and nature artist, I’m concerned by the struggle that many animals experience and the devastating environmental impact that humans have on their lives. With my pieces I bring awareness to these animals, whether it’s with promoting animal advocacy or revealing how unique they are. My current body of work, Wildlife Trapped, is transitional because the series begins by focusing on different endangered species, such as the Vaquita Porpoise and the Saola in their natural settings. Then the series transforms into images that depict distressed animals, such as African Wild Dogs, American Red Wolves and Whooping Cranes trapped among the towers of unsettling cityscapes. My intent is to show how human activity, such as poaching and construction, has caused injuries to these animals or have taken over their homes with the encroachment of buildings. I like to choose animals that are uncommon and relatively unknown in order to bring them to more people’s attention and to depict how animals are endangered in different environments throughout the world. To create my pieces, I use a bold color palette of oil paint on a hand-stretched canvas. I begin with a foundation of imprimatura and slowly build up each layer and finish by adding final details. The goal of my work is to increase people’s knowledge of these animals and improve their understanding of the problems they face.
GIANNA CARBONE 