A collection of colorful, thought-provoking paintings by Annika Brucia, a 17-year-old local artist who specializes in oil painting, are on display in the Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane through April as part of the Pop Up Art: Showcasing Local Talent program. Brucia, a student at Envision Visual Arts Conservatory at Crest Academy, created pieces that celebrate the diverse people and places in Carlsbad while exploring themes of nature, human emotion and memory.
Brucia finds inspiration for her artwork in the Carlsbad community. Several of her paintings were inspired by the experiences that we all endured during the COVID-19 lockdowns. As Brucia reflected on life during the pandemic, she painted local scenes in the community that she missed. She was particularly influenced by Carlsbad’s landscape, trails and native wildlife.
“Through my work, I hope to capture a diverse array of experiences that all members of our community can relate to and give something positive back to my home city,” Brucia said.
The gifted artist first dabbled in oil painting as a sophomore and often works from photographs to create her art. “Color is something that’s extremely important to me in art,” Brucia said. “I found that oil painting gave me the flexibility that I needed to create diverse pieces as well as the bright colors that I like to express my ideas through.”
Brucia’s paintings depicting various landscapes, nature scenes and portraits showcase the artist’s talent for incorporating color and evoking a broad range of emotions. You can view her art through April at the Carlsbad City Library, located at 1775 Dove Lane.
