From the archives: A life in colour with Carlotta

Show Notes

Takeaways from this episode

• Art as regeneration.
  Carlotta’s creative life has unfolded in distinct chapters - from illustration and paper sculpture to natural dyeing and stitching. Each phase has been shaped by her lived experience, especially the loss of her sister, and by a deep commitment to authenticity. Her current work is less about the final image and more about the healing process of making.
• The power of roots and rituals.
  Raised under the ancient oak trees of Montalcino, Carlotta grew up surrounded by creativity, nature and family tradition. Her father’s artisanal spirit and the legacy of her late sister continue to shape her relationship with making, from forging inks with rainwater to stitching sycamore seeds into her collages as a quiet act of remembrance.
• Grief as a guide
  After losing her sister Judy, Carlotta stepped away from sculpture and reconnected with the land. Walking through vineyards, gathering pigments, and letting nature speak became a new kind of art – one that didn’t demand answers, only presence. In this way, grief became not an ending, but a doorway into deeper creative connection.
• Creating with sincerity.
  Carlotta stopped making paper sculptures when she realised she was repeating, not creating. Her decision to pause - and later, to teach - came from a desire to return to honest, soulful expression. She now works slowly and experimentally, guided by intuition rather than output.
  
• The thread of connection.
  Whether through Lorna Crane’s classes, the Fibre Arts Take Two community, or heartfelt friendships formed across oceans, Carlotta believes in the magic of shared creative journeys. Her future vision includes opening her studio in Montalcino to others – a place where materials, memory and meaning come together in quiet conversation.

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Explore the artwork from this episode below

During the interview, we shared some images of Carlotta’s artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made some images available for you below.