Irena Carlson is a visual artist and writer who uses primarily painting, photography and collage for her creative works. Her particular specialty is the interplay of art and spirituality, with works that bridge from magical realism to abstraction. Her current work includes a series of intuitive paintings of the Runes-the ancient Nordic alphabet of archetypal symbols, and Tibetan Buddhist concepts.
Irena studied art at University of California, Irvine, and photography at Los Angeles City College. Graduate studies in Writing and Fine Art were completed at Eastern Michigan University. Living in Turkey, France and later New Zealand have contributed important influences to her creative work. She has written numerous stories published by the Travelers' Tales series of books. Her photography and paintings have been exhibited in Los Angeles, Michigan, and Wisconsin in both solo and group shows.