Meet Carly Palmer: painter, collage artist, writer, and resident artist and teacher at Water Street Studios in Batavia.

Self-described as a “fellow traveler and seeker exploring curiosity and creativity through the depths,” her boundless curiosity drives her to seek new challenges and artistic pursuits. 

Palmer made collages when she was younger but says they’re nothing like the ones she creates today. Now, she enjoys pairing her writing with her collage — and also paints abstract acrylics on birch wood canvas panels. 

She finds the sturdier surface works well for her hard-edge style and works freehand along with delicate surface tape and tiny brushes for detail work. She sees the art as a form of exploration. 

“In both processes, I love creating at the intersection of intention and intuition,” Palmer said. “The underlying message of my work is to ask and explore existential questions, rather than rest resolved in status-quo answers.” 

With this approach, the work allows her to carve out her own unique path.

Palmer loves her scissors (“I’m very particular about my favorite pairs!”), which she uses to source disparate images from a variety of print materials. 

Her favorite magazines tend to be high fashion, beauty, architecture, and interior design. She has developed a unique gluing method for her collages and enjoys the fine motor skills it takes. 

Here’s an example of one of her hand-cut paper collages:

Last year Palmer published Time and Time Again, which showcases eighteen collages paired with writings. She sees this book as her own artistic time capsule, and a way to share her musings about time with others. 

Currently she’s finishing her second book. Inspired by American artist Edward Hopper’s urban paintings and the moody feel of his work, she is using a tantalizing trifecta of hand-cut paper collages, hard-edge abstract paintings, and ekphrastic fictional prose writings, all of which are “in conversation” with one another. 

Palmer also pens a bimonthly newsletter featuring personal essays on life, art, and everything in between, sharing new artwork, current projects, as well as upcoming exhibits and workshops. She loves being able to share her process more deeply than social media typically allows.

“In a world that is always moving very fast, this instead invites folks to slow down and reflect on my words,” she said.

Palmer sees her artist-to-teacher path as a natural progression for someone who has a deep love of learning. She likes to encourage students to express themselves, experiment with new ways of doing things, and share what they make. Palmer encourages students to step out of their comfort zone and focus on process more than outcome. 

As a School of Art Outreach Instructor at Water Street Studios in Batavia, Palmer seeks to foster connection and a sense of empowerment and hope. She treasures the memory of working with art students in need on a holiday wreath project. 

For example, one younger boy couldn’t manage the knots and didn’t know how to tie his shoes. She taught him that skill before helping him transfer it to the knots for the wreath, having him follow her modeling. 

“At the end of the class, he came up to me beaming with excitement showing me his now-finished wreath,” she said. 

These are the experiences that keep her motivated.Even after teaching students of all ages skill levels, Palmer insists that she herself is always learning.

In February, Palmer offered a creative writing workshop, “Let Art Speak to You,” at the Batavia Public Library, helping writers bridge the connection between image and work and drafting poems inspired by well-known artworks. She also recently started an artist-themed book club for fellow Resident Artists and Instructors at Water Street. 

Palmer loves problem-solving and says, “I’ve likened my process to the metaphor of untangling knots!” 

She finds inspiration in her surroundings and responds without prior planning. 

“The idea is often what excites me the most,” she said. “The entire art process is a bit of a ‘call and response’ and I let it shape itself. My creative muse and I work in tandem.” 

She likes to shift among her media, creating her work as she goes, building the compositions in real time. She also sees creative blocks as a chance to reset and reflect, to learn something about herself. 

“I always trust that creative energy and flow will come back to me,” she said. “It sounds simple, but it really does come down to self-trust and willingness to surrender.”

“One of the best things about being an artist is that you are truly able to do whatever you want. Experiment often. Trust your own gut. Be open to changing directions, especially if you feel the inner nudge, even if others tell you not to. 

Build a relationship with your art and learn how to ‘listen’ to what it has to say. Don’t take yourself too seriously but take your art very seriously.”

Check out her website www.carlypalmer.com to explore her visual art, see her upcoming workshops, and subscribe to her bimonthly newsletter. 

This piece was written by Ellen Jo Ljung, a longtime Geneva resident, author, award-winning educator, and arts enthusiast. Visit her website to learn more.

Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with questions or comments.

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