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Meet Barbara...The Artist...
Expressing myself through
art has always been an important part of my life. After earning a
Bachelors Degree in Fine Art from Auburn University at Montgomery, I
worked in commercial illustration and advertising. Later on, I became
interested in painting portraits and attended the John Howard Sanden
National Portrait Seminar and several American Society of Portrait
Artists seminars where I learned from artists such as Nelson Shanks and
Daniel Green. Recently, plein air painting - "painting in the open air"
- has become my passion. I believe painting from life has taught me some
of the most valuable artistic lessons. It has taught me to observe true
color, light and shadow and I find there is a lesson in every painting.
To me the painting
experience is enriched by the challenge of capturing a scene quickly as
the light and clouds constantly change and by the influences of the
sounds, sights and smells painting from life brings. I never get tired
of being outdoors while creating art.
I love to paint the
things with which I am familiar. I study scenes I pass by frequently and
observe the effect the light and seasonal changes have on them. Some
sights stop me in my tracks and I have to paint them - pale green leaves
against a purple thunderhead, the golden light of autumn on a landscape
in the late afternoon, billowy clouds on a summer blue sky. My subject
may be as common as my backyard, the view from my car window on the way
to work, or those places I cherish - the countryside, gardens and
landmarks of Alabama. Each season, day and hour brings a completely new
picture to be painted.
I also love to
elevate the simple and ordinary - for example, a pumpkin, a strawberry,
a piece of candy - and showcase it in a small painting. This process
focuses me and, I hope, the viewer on seeing the beauty in the common,
everyday things in life.
I prefer to use
oils because of the buttery texture and richness of color they provide.
I also choose to use a limited palette to achieve harmony in color and I
am forever amazed at the wide range of hues a few colors present. I hope
to share with you my love of nature's beauty through my paintings.
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