The Extraordinary Childhood Behind Carla Grace’s $40k Wildlife Art

Carla Grace has built her career painting the wildlife she grew up with in South Africa. She’s just landed back in Australia after a piece of hers went under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York for an astounding $40,000. 

In this episode of The Edit, Carla tells Home Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Elle Lovelock about her childhood surrounded by rhinos, crocodiles and elephants, and how a stint without electricity in rural Zambia sparked the art career she's built over the past 12 years. 

Plus, Carla takes us through the art studio she and her husband spent a decade planning and saving for. The design is deeply intentional, down to the exact colour of the walls, so nothing would throw off-tone light onto her paintings. She also shares her honest advice on choosing frames and displaying art purposefully. 

Sending thanks to our partners at Kaboodle Kitchen.  

Explore kitchen and laundry inspiration at kaboodle.com.au 

This episode covers: 

• Landing back from New York after selling a painting at Sotheby's 
• Growing up surrounded by wildlife in Zimbabwe 
• Her formative years in New Zealand and Zambia 
• How a home with no power led her to art 
• Building her art studio out of repurposed kitchen cabinets 
• What her parents think of her career now 
• What "success" really means after 12 years in the art industry 
• Inside her 1980s farmhouse, mid-renovation 
• Can rhinos paint? 
• A listener dilemma – everything especially the kitchen sink 
• What makes a home beautiful 

You can find Carla on Instagram here. 

Check out Carla’s amazing art on her website here.  

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Credits: 

Host: Elle Lovelock 

Guest: Carla Grace 

Edited by: Leah Porges 

Head of Vodcasting: Rachel Fountain 

With thanks to our wonderful Home Beautiful team. 

The Edit is a production of Home Beautiful and Are Media. 

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