Artist
Carla Collins
Department of Art
Phillips Exeter Academy
Instagram
Filmmaker
Katie Loghinov
Instagram
Carla’s work begins with clay. As a ceramic artist, she builds forms through touch, repetition, and time. Some sculptures stay intact. Others change, break, or are set aside. Many are photographed before they leave the studio.
Those photographs become the starting point for another process. Images are transferred to screens and printed on paper. The physical object may no longer be present, but its surface and structure carry forward through ink.
Screen printing sits naturally inside this workflow. Screens hold images. The press introduces pressure and resistance. Each pull records contact, alignment, and movement.
Materials
Much of Carla’s material language comes from her surroundings. Natural pigments gathered near her home appear throughout the work. Black walnut and poke berry are processed into inks and printed alongside manufactured materials. Each brings its own density, tone, and variation.
Carla also works with a water based ink with black pigment made from algae developed by Living Ink Technologies . It enters the studio as another material to test, layer, and work through alongside the others.
RELATED: How to Screen Print with Living Ink’s Screen ALGAE INK
Surface
On paper, the black ink spreads into the fibers and settles as it dries. Heavier areas reflect light differently than thinner passes. Pressure and speed remain visible after the print comes off the press.
Carla is drawn to the Vintage black formulation. Differences emerge during printing and drying, and the vintage color brings out natural hues and tones.
Many prints combine multiple materials in a single surface. Forged walnut and poke berry sit alongside algae based ink. Silver mica dust rests loosely across the paper and shifts as the surface catches light.
In other works, gold leaf is applied over black ink. It sits on the surface and interrupts it, reflecting light while leaving the printed image visible beneath.
Practice
Carla teaches at Phillips Exeter Academy, where the art room and studio allow for extended time spent making. Students work through material decisions gradually, returning to processes and adjusting methods as their work develops.
After a cancer diagnosis in 2024, returning to the studio brought a more deliberate pace. Carla describes her work as a kind of meditation, shaped by the ongoing act of making and evolving the work over time. She hopes her work can help spread a bit of joy and healing to others.