Artist Carlotta Tormey of Placerville is One to Watch

Aug 25, 2015 02:26PM ● By Style

Photo by Dante Fontana © Style Media Group

Carlotta Tormey learned to paint when she was just four years old, alongside her grandmother, who’d set up still life and portrait sessions with little Tormey as a model. Years later, after working as an award-winning commercial illustrator in the Bay Area, Tormey settled in Placerville. Her gorgeous watercolors—many featuring scenes of historic Hangtown—can be viewed at the Gold Country Artists Gallery. “Do what you enjoy,” says Tormey. “Every artist has something to say—don’t let someone else determine who you should be.”

HLB: Did you always want to be an artist?

CT: Art was all I ever wanted to do. I would draw everything, from floor plans to new illustrations for the books I read.

HLB: Why watercolor?

CT: I work in watercolor primarily, but have used all mediums over the course of my career. When working on watercolor paper, you work from light to dark, which requires thinking and planning. If you get color in the white area, it’s kind of a fail, as there’s no paint as bright as the white of the paper. That’s the challenge—it’s both enjoyable and absorbing.

HLB: If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?

CT: Likely a swashbuckling history teacher.

HLB: Do you have regrets?

CT: I might’ve wished I’d done something differently, but regret? No. Every misstep—whether in art or life—can be learned from or improved upon. I’ve heard it said, “Hindsight is the devil’s mirror.” Thinking about every mistake can paralyze you.

HLB: What’s your favorite thing about Placerville?

CT: The clouds that pop up over the Sierras are spectacular, as is meeting the visitors who come from all over the world to visit our little town. Main Street offers a wealth of entertainment and pleasure, too—from the ages-old hardware store and the Doc Wiser Overland stagecoach rides, to the shops, restaurants and the art galleries that offer a variety of expression and creations in all mediums. This is a very supportive community for the arts and self-expression.