Carly Bedford

Artist Statement

Formally trained as a graphic designer, I like to paint in an opposite form. I use oil pastels, oil sticks, acrylics, and watercolors in my process. My work is stream of consciousness based. I play with pressure, color, and the speed of mark-making within the moment. None of these pieces start with a plan, but they do start with intention. 

The canvas is a safe place to explore deeper feelings that have been covered by layers of life: blue here, red there. Soft curves on top, rigid lines behind. Exploring myself allows me to expand my gaze outward. I feel a responsibility to analyze the reasons for my feelings as I’ve learned that my capacity and depth of feeling demand fullness and patience. If I’m not fully present with these feelings, then I can become numb to them. I feel the responsibility of an artist is to expose the raw and vulnerable truth of what it means to be human. My work is a deeper exploration of humanity and our collective depth of feeling.


bio

Carly Bedford is an artist based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma who creates bold and expressive abstract pieces primarily using oil pastels and oil sticks with acrylic and water color paint. Utilizing a subconscious and energetic mark making, she explores the differences between rigidity and spontaneity, defining her own boundaries. Her thoughts often trace back to the questions: Where do our boundaries lie? When do we decide to cross the boundaries we’ve set for ourselves? Who set these boundaries? After a year of traveling, she developed a body of work focusing on identifying these boundaries within herself.

Photo by Dwelling Table
  • Finding Perspective

    24 × 36 in.

    Oil pastel and oil stick on paper

    2025

    Sold

  • Finding Peace

    24 × 36 in.

    Oil pastel and oil stick on paper

    2025

    Sold

  • Untitled

    24 × 36 in.

    Oil pastel and oil stick on paper

    2025

  • Untitled

    24 × 36 in.

    Oil pastel and oil stick on paper

    2025

Costa Rica Series

I made the following works during my four month stay in the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica in 2025. These pieces represent the vibrant life there.

  • Untitled

    6 x 8 in.

    Oil pastel on paper

    2025

  • Pura Vida

    24 × 32 in.

    Acrylic, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas

    2025

  • Untitled

    9 × 12 in.

    Oil pastel on paper

    2025

Handmade paper

6 × 8 inches

2025 - 2026

  • Untitled

    6 x 8 in.

    Oil pastel on paper

    2025

  • Untitled

    6 x 8 in.

    Oil pastel on paper

    2025

  • Untitled

    6 x 8 in.

    Oil pastel on paper

    2025

  • Untitled

    6 x 8 in.

    Oil pastel on paper

    2025

  • Untitled

    6 x 8 in.

    Oil pastel on paper

    2025

  • Untitled

    6 x 8 in.

    Oil pastel on paper

    2025

Guanacaste, Costa Rica

4 x 4 inches

Oil pastel on paper

Made in Costa Rica, 2025

Ninth Street Women

11 × 14 inches

Oil pastel on paper

Made in Costa Rica, 2025

Other Explorations

Untitled

24 × 32 in.

Oil pastel, oil stick and acrylic on canvas

2025

Untitled

28 × 45 in.

Oil pastel and oil stick on paper

2025

Untitled

36 × 48 in.

Oil pastel, oil stick and acrylic on canvas

2025

Sold

Shows


Oklahoma Gaylord Hall of Fame, OVAC Members Show, June-August 2026