Artist Interview: Carrie Sass - 2025 Painted Piano Project

Tell us about yourself!

I was born Carol Marie Thornbury and raised in Kingsburg, California. I married Tim Sass in 1978, and we moved to Stockton in 1981. My married name is Carrie Mae Sass. I am blessed with an amazing, fun - a bit crazy - family. Son Aaron is a teacher in LUSD and a custom longboard designer / builder. My daughter Andi is a food reviewer and spin instructor in Santa Barbara. I have four precious grandchildren. My family inspires me every day. I am a fun, hardworking, lover of people and my community. I absolutely LOVE colorful decor and design, painting outside the lines - literally and figuratively. I dare to be a bit different than most - and am a passionate woman of faith who knows the importance of living each and every day. Life is definitely precious. I strive to be compassionate and caring, and I cherish relationship with friends, clients and colleagues I adore my few but mighty, close friends

How long have you been an artist? What are some other projects you have worked on?

Creative may be a better definition than artist. My first creative endeavor was learning to play the piano at a young age - my mom was a piano teacher - so learning and understanding the piano and harmonies was a part of growing up. I believe music is a catalyst to the creative development of the right brain. I have painted a few bar stools, my late father-in-laws side table (made it into a chess board), and small projects. Throughout my life I have studied calligraphy. Now that I think back - I did paint my friends baby's nursery walls with a farmers theme - barn, trees, cows and horses. That was years ago.

What inspired you to become an artist?

I own SASS! Public Relations Advertising Agency. Again - not an artist, but certainly a creative profession that inspires me to plan fun and relevant campaigns. My daughter in law Anna Sass, and I also own HERLIFE Magazine - which also takes a lot of artistic creation to publish a community magazine. So again, artist may not be the right description of me, but creativity and appreciation for art are certainly a part of my DNA.
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Describe the themes and style of your art. Do you gravitate towards one style or medium? What is your favorite medium to create with?

Theme: God made all the colors - so use them all :) I love funky art, nothing precise or perfect - a little loose and even a bit messy. I like working with acrylics and really enjoyed my first attempt at using Sharpie paint pens on this project. I also hid 18 items in the design for kids to find - caterpillars, ladybugs, asparagus spears, etc. :). That will keep kids engaged for a while....

Who are your biggest artistic influences?

My brother Dan an architect; my brother Bill, an amazing musician; and my brother Skip an amazing painter and auto/boat pinstripes. I also follow Eli Halpin, an eclectic artist in Austin, Texas. My newest is Tricia Robinson, an Alabama artist with a very colorful, inspirational style.

Tell us about your painted piano design. What inspired it?

I took each section. Planned it, painted it and then moved to the next section - I only painted over one or two spots and repainted - as I wasn't excited about the original design. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE color. I was inspired to use my favorite 4 colors - lime, pink, teal and purple to be the main colors and them added a few more here and there.

What are your aspirations as an artist? What are your dreams as an artist if anything were possible?

Maybe when I am retired I will try to get a bit more serious about doing more projects! This was certainly my biggest one and I was surprised how relaxing it was. I could paint for hours and not be stressed or tired. I even got up to paint in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. I would like to experiment with painting unusual pieces like violins or cellos. I have a clock that I am hoping to paint in a similar style as the piano - to go over my fireplace.

Tell us about your other hobbies and passions! What do you enjoy besides art?

I am an avid gardener. I can get lost in planting and weeding and pruning in the garden for days. I love incorporating funky items in the yards, such as my ski lift swing (purchased from China Peak where I learned to ski as a child) with the beautiful header designed by my son Aaron and built by Lodi's Matt Cunningham. I love my career. I love people and my crazy fun family and love hanging out with them. . And, I love learning more about God - the original creator.

How can we find more of your art? (website, social media, upcoming shows etc.) Is there anything else you want us to know?

I would love for you to follow our magazine - HERLIFEmagazine.com to read about all the amazing people in our community. Plus - a story on the piano project might be showing up in a future issue....