Merideth Bray Carballal

Artist Statement

My artwork primarily consists of acrylic and mixed media painting on canvas, where I sculpt texture mediums using palette knives to create abstract designs. My work can best be described as textured/super textured statement pieces. I firmly believe there's no such thing as too much texture. My materials of choice include crackle pastes, all degrees of molding pastes, gouache, wax, fluid acrylics, and ink.

My paintings reflect a lifetime fascination with urban decay, peeling/cracking paint, rust, and distressed surfaces. I love searching through the tiniest details, finding hidden gems on objects as simple as a brick. My inspiration as an artist comes from this fascination, and many of my paintings attempt to recreate images I've captured over the years.

Some of my favorite works look like they've been thrown off a balcony, which I think is fantastic. Others are more user friendly and equally fantastic. Many now live above sofas and beds, in living rooms and offices, and even above a few pianos. All purchased by kindred spirits who appreciate them as much as I do.

Biography

Merideth Bray Carballal is an artist/painter/texture enthusiast currently living in Tampa, FL. Her artwork reflects a lifelong fascination with textured surfaces and materials relating to urban decay, specifically peeling/cracking paint, rust, and distressed surfaces in general. She defines her artwork as "Textured Abstract Painting" and her medium is acrylic painting and mixed media on canvas.

Before becoming a professional artist, Merideth experimented with urban decay photography while living in NYC. She was mid-career at the time in an unrelated field, and photography was a hobby with which she became increasingly involved. When Merideth relocated to suburban Florida in 2014, she found it lacked the "distressed surface content" that was so abundant in New York.

So she decided to create a new hobby: constructing her own distressed surfaces through painting and texture mediums. In 2019, Merideth retired from her professional career to become the business owner of Merideth Carballal Art. She is entirely self-taught.

Merideth primarily participates in juried fine art shows throughout the state of Florida, as well as local exhibits and events. She thoroughly enjoys interaction with the community where she is able to connect, receive feedback, give feedback, and provide an interactive experience through her artwork. Her artist booth displays a range of bold, very individual statement piece paintings that fill the walls inside and outside of the tent. Visitors to Merideth's booth always want to know "how is the world do you make these?"

The answer is simple and sums up the process for most of her work: The paintings are all made from the same materials, just applied differently. These materials include various types of molding and crackle pastes, gouache, ink, and fluid acrylics. The pastes are combined to form the "texture" and are applied with palette knives to create abstract designs. No two paintings are the same.

Merideth is in the process of expanding her business from fine art festivals to exhibitions and public art. One of her goals is to create an interactive and sensory experience for others to enjoy through various textures and vibrant colors. Many of her bolder paintings, though for sale, are created with the intent to display/exhibit, which gives her the freedom to paint less restricted.

As a self-taught artist, she has excelled in the development of her craft, acceptance into dozens of competitive fine art festivals, participation in local exhibits, marketing, managing her own small business, and continuously expanding the scope of Merideth Carballal Art.

Exhibition History (CV)