Amy leigh carstensen

Amy Leigh Carstensen

Completely self-taught as an artist, Carstensen works predominantly in oils, favoring their rich pigments.  She utilizes a wet-on-wet technique which allows for extended working time and sophisticated blending. Carstensen paints intuitively and never knows what a piece will look like until it is finished.

Carstensen constructs multiple layers of oils with brushes and palette knife, scratching through to reveal earlier colors and add depth. Continuing with this process until the composition feels balanced, engaging, and complete: nothing more to add or take away. Carstensen sometimes include gestures of charcoal, colored pencils, wax crayons, or oil pastels. The careful viewer is rewarded with an undercurrent of subtle details and complex tonality. She alternates painting on stretched canvas, heavyweight paper, and wooden panels, enjoying the differing responsiveness of the various substrates. Carstensen’s works are nonrepresentational abstract and communicate through shape, composition, color, and texture.  The common thread connecting my portfolio is a strong and vibrant palette.