Carl Craven

In pursuit of creative experiences

Ever since I can remember I have drawn, observed, experienced, expressed myself in art and music. I have always been drawn to challenges, creative, intellectual, humanistic and I have beaten my path with my daily involvement in this type of life even when economic situations forced me to relinquish my precious time.

Why? Because I can't see anyother way to spend my life and try not to compromise what it is that I want to do everyday. It's hard to achieve. But it's how I try to live.

So here I am. The plan for this site is to represent some of my activities both personal and professional in art, music and teaching. To start documenting current activities such as new works, new music and to direct you toward my teaching

At some point in the very near future my family and I have plans to establish a more formal art and music school environment in our home in El Pinar, to forge a community of growing musicians and artists and to give them experiences, skills, opportunities to voice themselves and peers to share creative, performance and social events so that we can grow together. It sounds ambitious, but I believe it is possible.

I never stop looking, thinking, observing, learning, studying and I cannot see a better way to develop my own skills other than trying to help others with similar desires and challenges. We look forward to sharing these moments with you.

Thanks for reading.
Carl Craven

A BRIEF HISTORY

I studied Fine Art Painting at St Martin's School of Art, London in the late 80s followed by teacher training at Aston University.

A further two year years teaching and drawing in Milan Italy followed by the start of a 20 year career as a Jazz musician in Manchester UK.

I studied Jazz Composing, Arranging and Improvisation in Manchester´s Arden Centre 93-96. Since 96 I have composed music for a number of theatrical productions.

'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' won a theatre award for technical production, the original music cited as a contributing factor.

Several plays made it to the Edinburgh Festival and one to the Manchester 24:7 Theatre Festival.

I have also worked extensively in Web Design as well as working in two of Uruguay's top schools. Stella Maris Christian Brothers and the Uruguayan American School, teaching English Lit, Art, Music, Web Design, Photography, Cinema, Performing Arts.

Under the name 'The Complete Guitarist' I also ran a successful guitar school for 2 years prior to arriving in Uruguay; a project that I am now re-igniting here in Uruguay, El Pinar.