Safe Haven Sculpture

Carla Woody began to write stories and draw in childhood. The combination finally emerged as a narrative approach to art. She’s a storyteller. A look at her work over time tells of travels around the world⏤and a distinct ability to distill place and culture. She works in oil and mixed media, both 2-D and 3-D. The influence of her 20+ years’ involvement with Indigenous peoples and ancient traditions is noticeable. Carla makes her home in a remote area outside Prescott, Arizona. Artist Statement: "My artwork is narrative, conveying the path of my experiences and unearthing its depths, with intent to convey that sense of the sacred. I am an explorer of place, people, mind, and those things overlooked but most significant. I spent my childhood in Paris influenced by French culture where the arts are valued. I tagged along with my parents across Europe, curious about what was around the next bend. Those early experiences imprinted a love of art and great appreciation for culture. As an adult, my travels continued to farther flung places…North Africa, Middle East, India. In the mid-90s, my real life began through my first experiences with sacred Indigenous ceremonies and sites. My soul called me to remote areas in Peru, Bolivia, Central America, Mexico and Native lands in the US where I developed relationships with Indigenous spiritual leaders and healers serving their communities. My spirit has become grounded in these ways and they emerge in my art and writing. Experiential learning through Native traditions and over three decades of meditation practice have instilled greater clarity about what truly matters–connection to all things, reciprocity, community–yet opened a portal beyond what my ordinary eyes can see."