New Display System

I have a new-to-me display system and will be able to show in style at my next festival.

New Painting Series

I finally finished one of the three paintings I started for a new series I am attempting. I haven't had a lot of luck with series work. I intend for the paintings to be very similar but they start going in wildly different directions. But I had fun and I am happy with this first one. I wanted to my landscapes to take on symbolic meanings in particular have a path represent life's path. This is a common metaphor for example "being over the hill" but it is such a clear visual representation of past, present and future. I had a lot of ideas about the unknown future being over that hill. Visual symbols ranging from hope to dread. I didn't intend to put a figure in this painting but just appeared and I decided to go with it. I kind of wish I hadn't because I was apprehensive about how it would turn out and had a lot more fun painting the background but I like the painting.
Also I included some of the latest from my preschool art class. We spent about a month on Matisse. His life is a great one to study about overcoming life's obstacles and loving your surroundings. His art teaches great lessons on pattern, line, shape, composition and color too. Great stuff.

Commissioned Painting

Last week, I did this commissioned painting of the La Chua Trail on Paynes Prairie. The best part of the experience was taking a walk with my son on the trail to gather sketch material. We saw so much wildlife and the prairie was exploding in yellow wild flowers. I didn't do it justice.

Busy Fall

I love Halloween for all it's opportunities to be creative and let your imagination run free.

And these are some of the creative things we have been up to in preschool art class. We looked at two children's book illustrators: Saxton Freymann and Eric Carle. Freymann illustrates with fruits and vegetables so we created some tomatoes with play dough and black eyed peas for eyes. The children enjoyed taking pictures of their creations and I displayed them on a digital frame. We also looked at the well known children's book author and illustrator, Eric Carle who wrote The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We painted papers using several different methods to create textures. Another day, when the papers were dry we tore them and filled in a butterfly shape.

New shape paintings

I feel like I ended up at the wrong destination on the painting journey with these new works. I feel like I am illustrating instead of painting which would be a great predictable style if I got hired to do a children's book or similar work. But I would like my personal painting to be more unpredictable and process oriented. I wonder if you take an idea too far that you start turning in a circle? Or if you don't know how to proceed you choose a familiar path which would be a circle because it is a place that you have been before.



My son was asking a lot of questions about the blue dog: Is he lost? Is he lonely? or does he live in the wild? I hope he thinks he is lost but not really far from the right track.

Bright Warhol

As always the preschool artists surprise and delight me with their creations. I showed the children some of Andy Warhol's work and we read a great book for children written by Andy Warhol's nephew, James Warhola. I used the school's affiliate church's pastors as our "celebrity" faces. Fun results.

New Etsy Shop!

Check out my new shop on Etsy. I love shopping on Etsy!
I have been thinking about starting this for along time and decided to just jump in. I am nervous about having all the information covered so please visit the site and tell me how I can improve.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/carolhbarber
Thanks so much!

New Small Works

These are some new small paintings that I just completed: Garden of Delights, Flying Together, Caroline's Plot, and Prairie Celebration. I wanted to do some simple affordable work to sell, but they are not simple. It seems the smaller I paint the more intricate and detailed the work becomes, probably stemming from my love of small brushes. I emphasized rich textures over color in the last three which each measure 8" x 10".

Thomas Center Regional Juried Show

I was honored to have a piece in the juried show this year. Mine is the smaller painting on the right. It is an interesting show, the different judges always leave their mark and make the show unique each year.

Sunday's Celebration

Thank you Michael Woodman for these photos.

Sunday Celebration

Despite the downpours we really had a nice turnout for the reception today. It was such a pleasant time with friends, live soft music, wine and yummy cake. A dreamy afternoon, like a Nora Jones song which the guitarist did play. I forgot my camera so I am stealing an image Jeff Knee took of the show. Thank you to all for the well wishes, braving the rain and helping make the day a success.

Shaped by Time

You all are invited to
Melrose Bay Gallery, Shaped by Time,
art show with abstract artist, Ande Lister
Celebrating my 40th Birthday
with cake on Sunday, July 11, 3 to 6 pm
Show runs June 26 - July 31.

The One and Only Mona Lisa!

Well this project was a lot of fun and captured people's attention like no other this year. Toddling babies to grandparents were stopping to take a long look and point to each one. Lots of fun.

Show in July

This painting sold this week.







I have a couple of new paintings but I want to wait to show them in July at Melrose Bay Gallery. Hope that you can join us.

Flags for Memorial Day

Loved the flags my preschool artists painted to honor Memorial Day and study Jasper Johns. His flag painting sold this month at auction for 28.6 million.

Chair Auction

It case you missed it, here are some of the great chairs from the benefit this past weekend.

My Chair!

Musical Chairs event this Saturday from 6 to 9 pm at Ellie Blair's Studio.
I am very happy to have the chair completed. My mistake was thinking that it was going to be easy but I am pleased with the way that it came out. I am glad that I chose the monochromatic color scheme and it is not visible from the photos but it has touches of silver paint. It really goes well with the metal parts of the chair. I am excited to see how the other chairs are painted at the benefit. I hope that the auction is a great success for the worthy cause of the arts in elementary schools.

Musical Chairs Event

Click on the title to see details of this event benefitting the Arts in Public Schools. Thank You!

Preschoolers working like Jasper Johns

I had my preschool classes use charcoal and letter stencils to work like Jasper Johns. John's figure "8" is matted in orange. One of the artist's objectives was to create a rich and interesting surface. The preschoolers naturally do that, the teachers' attempts were much too clean and not as interesting. Their playfulness creates some really interesting designs too. A good lesson for graphic designers.

New Landscape

Here are some pictures of my latest landscape painting. It is fairly big measuring 48 in. across. I was concentrating on the surface texture in this one. I don't think it is going to fit in with my next show so I may try to hang it at Paddiwhack or at MT's Chop House for the Summer.
Speaking of the Summer, I have some definite art plans and that has helped me focus on what art needs to be done next. I need to focus and plan ahead more often. But I guess there needs to be times of too many ideas and wondering which way to go, then choosing one and completing it. I wanted to do a fund raiser art show for my fortieth birthday this Summer but I have settled on participating in a fund raiser to benefit the Arts in public schools. I will be painting a chair for a "Musical Chairs" night May 22nd. More to come as that develops. I will be having a birthday celebration by showing with abstract artist, Ande Lister at the Melrose Bay Art Gallery for the month of July. The show will be called Shaped by Time. It is going to be very cool, I can't wait to install it. The Harn store is also featuring four of my paintings. I am happy for this opportunity since wall space is very limited there.
I have been introducing the Modernist, Jasper Johns, to my preschool classes. I get so much enjoyment out of their creations. I'll post some of those soon.