Carrie Kaufman was born in Eugene, Oregon and grew up in the Portland area. Art was very much a part of her life as a child. Her father, an architect, and mother, a multi-talented visual artist, encouraged her creative pursuits from an early age. Kaufman moved to Hawaii in 1973 where for over twenty years she was active in the arts community. She helped launch a cooperative arts and craft center in windward Oahu, owned a fabric boutique in Honolulu that specialized in quilting and home décor, designed and manufactured hand-painted and embellished clothing for the tourism market, and participated the Pacific Handcrafters Guild. After moving back to Oregon, Kaufman began focusing her artistic endeavors on working in mixed media. She incorporates unusual embellishments and unique collected objects, layering them with colorful art paper, fibers, paint, -- and anything else that catches her eye -- to create her own distinctive approach to mixed media. She continues to experiment and evolve her style. Kaufman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Linfield College. She is the mother of two grown sons and a delighted grandmother of two. Although art is her passion, Kaufman also finds fulfillment working as a nonprofit professional. Statement: Not unlike a patchwork quilt, my work is constructed of small forms that build on each other to become a complex image. Bits and pieces of paper, fiber, paint and found objects interplay and the image comes to life. It's easy to take life too seriously. Creating mixed media collage brings balance to my life and whimsy to everyday life. I love color and texture and I strive to make walls of our everyday lives sing with pleasure and delight.