Mystical imagination of Tallahassee artist takes vivid form in new exhibition

Painter, collage artist, and art educator Carrie Ann Baade slips into the sublime scenes of her imagination in her latest solo exhibition, "The Surreal Imagining," running through Dec. 7 at TCC Fine Art Gallery.

The garden of possibility

The artist, eyes closed, takes a moment to breathe. They inhale, exhale, and find stillness. Suddenly a garden grows in their mind, filled with luscious leaves entangled amongst thick vines that bloom seductive scents within its flowers. A tiny seed of possibility appears in their hand. The seed is planted, and what they envision will grow there.

No image will be the same, and all images will bring creative fertility. That is the power of imagination and what fuels artist and educator Carrie Ann Baade. “I start in the world of my mind,” says Baade. “[The imagination] is a fertile and chaotic space with limitless potential.”

It is this almost spiritual connection to the imagination and its creations that led Baade into the arts. Like many children, she had a revolving gallery of artwork on the fridge curated by overly supportive parents.

Unlike some, Baade declared herself an artist at the age of 2 and, by 6, was grappling with existential questions about how to sustain herself as an artist. Growing up in Louisiana, Baade saw herself reflected in the French Quarter artists she visited with family and knew she, too, was meant for this life with all of its challenges.

Baade supported her vision of a future filled with art by dedicating herself to its practice and the pursuit of knowledge. She went on to study art academically at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Delaware, receiving a Bachelor's and Master's in Fine Arts, respectively. She also studied realism at an atelier in Italy.

Tallahassee became home in 2007 when Florida State University welcomed her as a professor in the Department of Art. Since then, Baade has not only made an impact on her students, but she has also helped shape the arts community in Tallahassee. Baade took over the 621 Gallery during the recession when it was on the brink of closure and revived it to serve artists and art connoisseurs alike.

Composing collages

“Composing, for me, is a mystical and intuitive process,” Baade said. “With the use of symbols comes meaning and storytelling.” Baade combines collage and oil paint to create stunningly intricate and intimate pieces.

The Renaissance influence is evident, as is the lean into the surreal and imaginative. Creating a collage may seem as simple as cutting and gluing two pieces together, but as Baade shares, purpose, and a meticulous approach are necessary to convey the emotions desired in each collage.

First, she begins by accumulating images from existing photography or history books that complement each other, keeping “a bin stocked like a fire.” Next, she engages in a dialogue with the images collected to create a rough collage prototype.

“When I’m working on a collage, I’m in the realm of composition, a process that can be a bit more unbridled,” admits Baade. “I navigate through fear and failure to reach a creative state that borders on madness. It’s not always a completely enjoyable experience.”

She describes the prototype as an amalgamation that serves as the foundation for the painting. All are constructed in what is known as a ‘trompe l’oeil manner,’ a visual illusion using paint to trick the eye into perceiving a flat object as three-dimensional. It is meant to touch not only on the aesthetic of each cut and ridge but also as a means to ignite and engage with the intricacies of the human psyche.

Once the basic composition is established, the prototype is transferred onto the panel or canvas. Baade layers ink underpainting followed by oil paints to give depth and continuously experiment with new techniques that celebrate color.

Baade reiterates that paint is comprised of rock and linseed oil, making it as organic and connected as the art it’s elevating.

“I employ various subtractive and additive methods — such as scraping, stenciling, sgraffito, pastiglia, and more — to achieve a dynamic surface,” Baade said.

Baade steps humbly in the wake of artists before her from the early Flemish Renaissance style of the 16th century. She draws upon time-tested techniques and methods to maintain a connection to the past while forging forward in a new contemporary artscape.

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A lifetime of imaginative exhibitions

With over 30 years of painting behind her, Carrie Ann Baade has shown 25 solo exhibits and has participated in over 230 group shows. She has exhibited her work globally and continues to share that experience and its influences with her students and the Tallahassee community.

Baade is also eager to reconnect with her roots in her 2025 exhibition "Birthplace" at LeMieux Galleries in New Orleans. Here, Baade shares the concealed stories of diverse women in colonial Louisiana through collage-based paintings and a newfound understanding of her hometown.

Locally, Baade’s current show "The Surreal Imagining" delves into psychological questions and revelations of the subconscious mind. The show highlights over 30 paintings and 15 collages of Baade’s that welcome conversation and hope to ignite the viewer’s imagination of endless possibilities.

On view until Dec. 7, be sure to catch a glimpse into the powerful artistic mind of Carrie Ann Baade at Tallahassee Community College’s Fine Art Gallery.

If you go

What: The Surreal Imagining

When: Through Dec. 7, Monday - Friday 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Where: TCC Fine Art Gallery, 444 Appleyard Drive, Fine and Performing Arts Center

Details: Free; 850-201-9889; tallahasseearts.org

Dr. Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org).

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 'Surreal Imagining' takes vivid form for Carrie Ann Baade