I met Sylvie when she and her family first moved to the East Bay area. I’m embarrassed to tell you that I didn’t even realize what a talented artist I had the privilege to work for until her husband spoke up during one of our meetings and told me a lot about her work. Since then I have followed her artistic path with admiration and awe. My daughter Meredith was fortunate to take a few art classes from her as well, where she learned a tremendous amount about color in a very short time.
Please enjoy reading about Sylvie’s path, enjoy the art she shares with us in her Blog, and find out how you can view her work in person, take a class from her and even have a chat with her yourself.
Meet Sylvie’s family: Don, Sylvie, Annie, Emma, Katelyn and their family dog Chunk.It was my 5th grade art teacher who pulled me aside after drawing an underwater environment and told me to stick with art --- that I had natural talent! I decided then that art is what makes me the happiest. I LOVED all of my high school art classes: sculpture and painting particularly. In fact, I was a sculpture major for a year at the Maryland Institute of Art before transfering to Parsons School of Design in Environmental Design. Neither of my parents had studied art, nor really any blood relative. I have eight siblings and as you might guess, sports was the focus. I was not very coordinated and searched for another direction. My paternal grandfather, who had a passion for opera and painting, took me (one of 31 grandchildren!) to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and introduced me to the French impressionists. His encouragement, along with my Mom’s support, helped me to define my path. A word of advice to all grandparents: your words and interactions can make a lasting impression!
Danville Hotel, 2009Parsons School of Design in New York is a very prestigious institution. Tell us how you chose that school, and where your journey took you in your early professional days after you graduated, with honors.
While at Parsons, studying environmental design, I was a Teacher’s Assistant in my drafting class for two years. My professor gave my name to a New York City architect and I was hired after taking three months to backpack through Europe with two of my sisters. I also spent three months living in Arizona with another sister, exploring the Grand Canyon and the Southwest. I made money in Flagstaff doing architecture renderings on a freelance basis.
The architect I worked for in Manhattan trained me not only in drafting and rendering, but also in being a Project Manager. I traveled nationwide overseeing the construction of Laura Ashley stores. That is how I first came to Walnut Creek, as I was in charge of the shop construction in Broadway Plaza in the early 80s. Little did I know that I would land here!
What did you envision as your career path early on? Did things evolve as you expected? What has surprised you about your journey as an artist and who would you say provided you with the most inspiration?
In 1984 I married my husband, Don Rubenstein, and we moved across country both taking jobs in San Francisco. I worked for a San Francisco architect, and later an interior designer in Pacific Heights. As much as I liked drafting and rendering, my true love was always “fine art” (drawing, painting, and sculpture). Late in 1986 I took leave to have our first child. I loved being a stay-at-home Mom, and I was thrilled when our second child was born 18 months later. I took occasional night classes at Cal, and joined a studio in Alameda to paint from live models. It wasn’t until our third daughter was in kindergarten, that I took a painting class during the day. I remember seeing Wayne Thiebaud's painting in the mid 90’s and feeling a powerful spark of inspiration. Once I found Plein Air painting, I was hooked! I took classes with Pam Glover, from Orinda, for many years, and I’d say she was a wonderful influence in my life. More recently I have been inspired by the work and teaching of Timothy Horn. My favorite painters are mostly from California.
Larry’s Truck, 2009
Let’s focus on your current work. You are becoming very famous through your amazing murals, especially in our local community. Share with us how murals became a focal point for your work and tell us about some of your projects.
While my girls were in Pleasant Hill Elementary School, I taught after school enrichment classes. One class I named Mobile Murals, where we painted on large sheets of paper and lined them up to create a band or strip mural. Then we painted on boards. The following class was a mural class where we tackled an eight foot high by 60 foot wide outdoor wall. It grew from there --- five murals at Pleasant Hill Elementary, four at College Park High School, two at Fair Oaks, one at Mt. Diablo Adult School, one at Ygnacio Valley High School, and two at Valley View Middle School --- until now there are 22 in the community! I love working with the students, collaborating on ideas and images and techniques. The murals have included not only the work of very talented artists, but kids and adults who have never picked up a brush! It is a labor of love that unites us while we paint, and creates a wonderful sense of ownership and pride.
Sylvie’s mural in progress; behind Sweet Tomatoes in Pleasant Hill, 2008Browsing through your website, I was interested to note how many different styles and areas of interest you embrace. Is this evolutionary, or do you simultaneously work on many different projects?
Like many artists, I am inspired by so much of my environment --- from a rolling landscape, to a pair of my daughter’s platform shoes lying in the hallway. The other thrilling challenge is to capture light and shadow. I work simultaneously on many projects because I am both scattered and focused at the same time! I don’t really see myself as having a “style” --- I just do what comes naturally. Every time I get behind the wheel of my car, I scan the landscapes looking for light and shadow patterns, figuring out how I would mix that color tree, taking mental pictures to sketch when I get home. In other words, you might want to stay away from me while I'm driving!
Emma’s Platform Shoes, 2011
In addition to your beautiful murals, you are also known as a teacher. Tell us about how students find you and what you hope to inspire in them. What is your teaching style and what ages do you work with? How do you help each student find their own unique “voice?”
All of my students come to me by word of mouth. Generally the work of my students is my best advertising! I teach children seven years and up, and adults year round. I work on drawing, painting (watercolor and acrylic), some model making, along with clay sculpture. My hope is to help my students “see” the world around them, while exploring their individual passion and vision. I don’t have a generic set of lessons; I try to tailor my lessons to connect with the student’s interests, all the while teaching the basics of color, composition, and techniques. It is through teaching that I get to share my deep love of art and plant the seed in the next generation!
You are married to a great guy, Don Rubenstein, and have three amazing daughters. How did you and Don meet? How have you successfully blended the challenges of being a wife, stay-at-home Mom all the while staying true to and focused on your own artistic passions?
Don and I will celebrate our 27th anniversary this June. He has always been my closest friend (since five years before our marriage). We went to the same high school in New York, but didn’t really know each other until my sister introduced us in our college years. We married in ’84 and decided to move to California with every intention of returning East once we started a family. The Bay Area captured our hearts and we now can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Golden Hills of Cambria, California, 2010
There is a constant inner voice in me that hungers for more time to paint my own work. I am finding that time more as our girls become independent. I see my life in stages. While I stayed home to raise our daughters, the inner voice was more of a whisper, maybe because it wasn't quite the right time. Parenting is a work of art in itself!
Do you think any of your children will follow in your footsteps?
All three of our daughters have distinct natural artistic talent. It is thrilling for us to watch it develop. Our daughter Katelyn can draw beautifully. Annie went to UC Davis for Interior Architecture and Emma is soon graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. It is one of life’s greatest gifts for me to share my passion with my girls.
What’s next for you as an artist, Sylvie? And are there any other things you’d like to share with us?
I just took an online workshop on opening your studio to the public. I am working on pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and learning about marketing myself. I have also been a P.E.O. member of Chapter SB, Moraga, for 12 years. I have held the Vice President position for the past three years. As mentioned in one of your previous blogs, this organization is made up of women helping women to further their education with grants, scholarships and loans. Some of my dearest friendships have been made through P.E.O.
I think many readers are going to be so happy to know the artist behind the beautiful murals they see every day! If they are interested in viewing your work, or talking with you in person, what’s the best way to reach you both on-line and in person?
My work can be seen on my website: www.sylviecarr.com. My phone number is 925/451-2284 and my email address is: rubecarr@sbcglobal.net I am happy to hear from any of your readers!
Crockett Hills, California, 2007