During her long tenure as a painter Carlbom’s attention to contrastive visual artists and their place in art history is evident in her work. We can easily find reference to American Folk Art and then to Pop Art. A layered synthesis in her use of multiple images, exaggerated scale, linear definition, and gray tonalities is her signature. In our high-tech media surround she doesn’t use gimmicks; she is essentially concerned only with brush and paint. Though more focused on manipulating classic, decorative icons, Carlbom’s recent paintings are testimonials to her earlier exploration of large scale traditional still life painting and its stylistic and technical boundaries. Solo and grouped objects placed in unexpected ways produce a changed impact on the viewer. She presents familiar forms in a context that represents a departure from the norm - using minimal color, paint stroke, and gray backdrop as reinforcing elements. Carlbom is a timely, current American painter. Her work is set apart by the integrity of her vision and her insistence on craftsmanship.