About the artist

I'm Carly Van Eck, and I create vibrant, colorful, abstract acrylic paintings.

I've always enjoyed being creative and artistic, and I was known for doodling in my notebook during class. I went to college for social work and after finishing grad school in 2013, I entered the mental health field. I worked in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, followed by a crisis residential center, and also ran an art therapy group for an intensive outpatient program specializing in eating disorders.

Meanwhile, I was creating many different types of crafts and people were offering to buy them from me. At that time, I did everything from painting furniture and creating holiday decor, to hand lettering signs and making watercolor cards. I put my creativity to use in many different ways and loved learning new things.

For years I had been struggling with health issues. As medical appointments, testing, procedures, sick days, and surgeries began to take up more and more of my time, I found that working a traditional job was not something I could do.

I started to expand my art and crafting and decided to make it a business. This allowed me the flexibility to plan around appointments and allow myself to rest on days I wasn’t feeling well. I participated in some art shows and made custom art for anyone who asked. My art business at that time was called Cat Lady Productions because my kitties were always by my side helping me create.

In 2020, I decided to make a change. With this shift I transitioned my art business name to boring old Carly Van Eck Art. This was to more clearly indicate the purpose of my business, and not because my cats no longer help me. I assure you, they do. Far too much, sometimes.

I began to focus on making the art that I was most passionate about. I transitioned from making various crafts to developing my own style of painting. I primarily use acrylic paint on canvas and I create abstract art using lots of happy colors. I spend hours on my paintings adding layers of various brushstrokes, shapes, patterns, and colors. I always love to hear what people say they see in my paintings. Sometimes I’m asked what a painting means. Most of the time I will shrug and say “I don’t know. I like pretty colors. It’s abstract - it can mean whatever you want it to!”

I occasionally sell my paintings at art shows or markets, but the majority of my work is custom made. I have also participated in ArtPrize three times. My 2024 ArtPrize entry, “Interconnected," will be at Park Church!

Most days you can find me in my art room in the basement, painting while sipping on a McDonald’s Diet Coke and listening to podcasts about cults or true crime. I live in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area and have been married to my amazing husband for 14 years. As mentioned, we have two naughty cats (Penelope is 11 years old and Ingrid is 9). I also own a Free Little Art Gallery that has helped me to connect with others in the community and beyond (see the Artsy on Abel page to learn more).

Leaving the social work field was hard. It felt like chronic illness was causing me to give up on my dreams and career goals. I’ve since learned that dreams can change, and in the best possible way. I never imagined being an artist could actually be a reality for me, and I love it so much. It turns out that I actually am living my dreams - they are just different than what I originally thought they were.

I couldn’t do this without the support I receive from loved ones and customers. So, THANK YOU. Every little thing makes a difference: your kind words, social media interactions, likes/shares/comments, word of mouth recommendations, event attendance, purchases, commissions, and encouragement mean the world to me.

All professional photos are by Amberle Dekker.