ENCINITAS — The art of Carmen Saunders gives the impression that, while viewers can’t immediately tell what they’re looking at, it somehow feels familiar.
In abstract, brightly colored arrangements, she layers photographs of buildings — sometimes famous ones — to create an effect that draws people in.
“They look at the walls and they’re like, ‘Wow, look at that,’” Saunders told The Coast News. “I like the intrigue and the mystery — that you have to really look at it to kind of have an idea of what it could possibly be. Because it’s not clear that it’s a building.”
Images from her Urban Kaleidoscopes portfolio will hang at Encinitas City Hall through Aug. 28.
Luciana Fernandes, the city’s arts coordinator, said the art and venue were a natural pairing.
“It looks very civic, but very playful at the same time,” Fernandes told The Coast News. “I thought it was a perfect match for City Hall.”
She added that Urban Kaleidoscopes was among more than 100 applicants for the city’s visual arts program, which displays collections at City Hall, the Encinitas Library and the Community and Senior Center.
“It’s not so easy to get in, it’s getting harder and harder,” Fernandes said.
After multiple rounds of review, the program selects 24 pieces to be displayed throughout the year, eight at a time. The program is completely free, and the city is accepting applications for 2027 exhibitions.
“It enriches not only our community, but our local artists,” Fernandes said. “It’s a way for them to find future collectors, display their work and get their name out there.”
Saunders, an Oceanside resident, called the arrangement a “win-win.”
“They beautify their buildings with local art, and then the local artists also have a chance to display their art in public places,” she said.
Saunders added that while she always appreciated photography, she really began taking it seriously while teaching newspaper and yearbook classes at a school in San Bernardino.
“That was awesome because I got to do a lot of photography and get the kids to go to all the sports and plays and take pictures,” she said. “So I really loved it.”
Saunders said she later began taking classes at community colleges and through university extension programs, though she considers herself “mostly self-taught.”
Since retiring from teaching, she said she has been able to invest more time into photography and developing her artistic style.
“I just love taking pictures of those tall buildings,” Saunders said.
She added that she tries to group each piece by the buildings’ locations.
Saunders described her process as experimental, or “hit-and-miss,” as she looks for images that work together to pull viewers into an artistic voyage of discovery.
“I don’t have any preconceived ideas of what I wanted to do,” she said. “It’s more of an intuition type thing. ‘Oh, I think this picture would go nicely with this one.’”
