Just in case you’re feeling a tad winter weary and color starved, thought I’d share some gorgeous paintings by award-winning artist, illustrator, author and teacher Carla Golembe, who currently lives in Delray Beach, Florida.

Carla is a particular favorite because she illustrated my third picture book, The Woman in the Moon (Little, Brown), and her rich, color drenched, dreamy acrylic paintings always lift me up and transport me to a place far away from the troubles and uncertainty of this world.

Recently, Carla has been painting mermaids for the Mermaid Expo to be held at the Gallery Galleon in Puerto Rico on March 8, 2013. A devoted cat lover, Carla also painted some beautiful tributes to her beloved Zippy (who passed away last summer), as well as several whimsical pieces featuring her new cat Vinny.

This is how Carla describes her work:

My paintings are the product of my dreams and experiences. They speak of hope and love, of mystery and delight. My work expresses the harmony between individuals, between people and animals, people and nature, within a person’s soul.

They are colorful and sensual, reflecting the tropical beauty of my home and travels. The full spectrum of positive emotion echoes through my work.

Although the pieces express an optimistic attitude they are not naive, rather they come from an understanding that pain and anxiety are part of life but joy is a more desirable place to dwell. Although my compositions are designed and defined there is no gravity in my visual world. The figures often inhabit ambiguous spaces, places where sky and water flow into one  another and where light and darkness merge. They are frequently caught in a moment of being or becoming, for it is in that moment that all dreams are possible.

♥ For more information about any of these paintings (many of these one-of-a-kind originals are available for purchase), please contact Carla directly via email: carlagolembe (at) gmail (dot) com.

♥ For you lucky Florida peeps: you can see Carla’s work up close at her large one person show at the Delray Public Library in April and May.

♥ As mentioned earlier, she’s also a featured artist in the Mermaid Expo (with the Parkington Sisters) at the Gallery Galleon in Vieques, Puerto Rico, opening March 8, 2013, 5 p.m.

♥ For more loveliness, visit Carla’s Official Website and Facebook Page.

♥ In case you missed it, read my 2009 interview with Carla, where she discusses her work illustrating children’s books and shares her recipe for Seafood Stew.

How did you like basking in all that beauty? Let that good feeling carry you through the rest of the week!

*skips away*

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Copyright © 2013 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.