Carla Raads
Carla Raads
Based in the beautiful coastal town of Lytham St Anne’s, Carla Raads is an abstract sea and landscape artist that paints exclusively with her hands.
A true beach girl at heart, Carla was born and raised on the Eastern Cape coast of South Africa and spent nearly every day amongst the sand and waves. “For me, it’s the sound, the rise of the tide and the crash of the waves. It’s the thunder”.
At 16 she would leave South Africa in search of a new life in the UK. Always drawn to the sea, she and her family settled on the Fylde coast. “I was grateful to live near the sea, the familiarity of the beach made it feel more like home”.
Carla went on to study fine art at Blackpool college, learning about life drawing, painting, and sculpture before studying design and interiors at Manchester metropolitan university. During that time, she would work under the mentorship of the late Phillippe Aird at the Phoenix galleries in Hulme. Her mentor, an abstract artist known for his resin pouring work, was mentored by LS Lowry and he drew inspiration from his work. Phil, as she called him, taught the 19-year-old Carla about canvas building, large-scale abstracts, and paint techniques. “He was so free with his painting. He would let the work come alive by allowing the paint to move organically. The best thing he ever taught me”.
Carla continues to paint seascapes along with skyscapes and landscapes. The work is emotional and some actionable, she draws inspiration from Mother Nature’s moods and relates them to her own, some powerful and bold, some still and isolating. She hopes to draw out the emotional response in the viewer. She works on canvas that she hand stretches, with acrylic, spray paint, and varnish. Each piece is signed with her unique handprint on reverse, framed and unframed.