A longer introduction
Concentration mode at 100%
While I wanted to keep things short and sweet in my About section, I’m actually quite tall and a bit spicy so here’s a longer self-introduction to get to know a little more about me and my work.
Hi, I’m Caitlin Albritton! Born and raised in Tampa, FL where I currently live and work, I’ve always gotten giddy at the thought of finding treasures: anything from fossils and geodes to ancient artifacts. After going to the Mel Fisher Shipwreck Museum and admiring their “golden breadsticks” (a.k.a. Atocha gold bars), I was so hell-bent on finding my own that my family spray painted some rocks gold and hid them in my sand pit for me to dig up (and yes, I thought they were real for quite a few years).
Besides obsessing over treasures, I have always been involved in the arts and volleyball since a young age. Though I’d never considered art school, my high school art teachers Judy Oliveri and Dana Warner encouraged me to apply. I ended up attending Savannah College of Art and Design with a major in painting and a minor in ceramics. This is where I got a taste of metalsmithing when I took an Intro to Metals and Jewelry class as an elective.
After a few years off, I headed back to college for a low-residency studio art graduate program at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. Because the program was interdisciplinary, I was able to dabble in everything from painting to sculpture to even some video and installation works. This is where I first developed my Gym Series.
As an avid gym-goer, I’ve explored how this strange space can be a place where everyday mannerisms can be amplified in a kind of stage-like environment where we have a hyperawareness of our bodies in a public space. All artist statements aside, I am most interested in the lovable awkwardness of our bodies.
In 2019, I received a $2,000 grant from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County to take classes in inlay and intarsia at William Holland School of Lapidary Arts. I’ve always loved the idea of making “wearable paintings,” and I was able to combine my passions hands-on making and rockhounding all into one art form that speaks to my heart. For a while I continued with gym-related works, but now I’m most interested in making figurative art inlays of whatever my heart desires.
As a true Floridian, I feel like I’ve internalized all of the wonder and weirdness of this state and let it guide my artworks. I tend to describe my works as having a “Floridian palette,” which to me, means the use of vibrant color combinations that perhaps reminisce of a kitchy beach souvenir shop (in the best way possible, of course). To me, this color sense is reflected throughout not just my paintings, but even my color selections for my inlay works.
Other than getting up to no good in the studio, I also do a bit of freelance arts-related piece to keep my hand in writing. In my spare time, you can catch me on the court for some pick-up volleyball games, curled up on the couch reading, hitting the pavement for a long run, or teaching myself a new craft. More than anything, I love learning something new and consider myself a student-for-life. If only we could life a few extra lifetimes to do everything we want, right?
I’ll keep updating my Rock Lab Journal with both educational material and work process in the future, so make sure to subscribe if you’ll like to keep updated on new content!