The Surface series marks a focused exploration of process through the limitations of paper. Each work is created on 300-pound cold press paper. Where canvas allows days of gestural layering and revision, paper quickly reaches a saturation point—forcing the painting to arrive at its conclusion much sooner.

For Carter, this constraint became the heart of the series. Each work compresses the full arc of her painterly process into a short window of time, creating what she describes as a kind of microcosm of painting itself. Between success, failure, control, and accident, this range became an essential part of the work.

Across the pieces in the series, Surface reflects on the unpredictable nature of creativity. The paintings hold the tension between intention and chance, echoing the way decisions, limitations, and unexpected moments shape both artistic practice and human experience.