Music, Art, Creativity: Come Compare on October 5th

At Second Street Gallery 

On October 5th from 5:30 to 7:30 there will be an opening reception at Second Street Gallery and the featured artist is Lana Guerra from New Orleans. She will also be presenting a puppet show at 6:30.
My work will be in the "Backroom" which is really the office area, but I am still very excited to have a presence at this gallery. When I moved to Charlottesville seven years ago, I wanted to do art that was contemporary and could be shown at this gallery. Now after working these years to find my own voice in abstraction, my wish has come true. I am happy to be working in a manner that is abstract, intuitive and feels good to create.
When you go through the gallery you will see that Lana and I use some of the same bright colors such as fluorescent pink and teal but the over all feelings of the paintings are so different. Her art is like punk rock and mine is like jazz. I wonder if my art really is like jazz? I looked up Jazz on Wikipedia and maybe Lana's art is more like Jazz, both originated in New Orleans. I do not know much about music, but I thought Wikipedia would say that jazz was improvisational and playing with the elements of music. However, it didn't really say that, maybe I should ask a musician how they feel about it. I am in love with the art and design elements and I feel I do intuitively play with the elements to make finished compositions. Lana is working in an intuitive stream of consciousness, letting her creativity run wild. I hope to find out more about the narratives she creates on October 5th. She may have purposes and reasons for the stories or she may create them and the meanings emerge. I feel pretty sure the need to create is another common bond between the two of us and not just the same bright colors.

WATER. POISON. DRINK. DIVE. LANA GUERRA 9.7.2018 TO 10.20.2018

"Melt My Heart" 2018 © Carol Barber

Work up at Random Row Brewing Company

I had fun hanging pieces together that have never shown together before. Join me for a beer on Wednesday evening, June 6, from 5 to 8 pm to check it out in person. I would love to see you! 

From the Organizer:

Random Row Brewery features Carol Barber for the month of June. On June 6th a reception for the artist will be held 5 - 8 pm. A great time to enjoy art and great beer. Location: 608 Preston A, Charlottesville, VA 22903 Hours: M-F 4:30 - 11, Sat-Sun noon- 9pm, (434) 284-8466

Cheers to 2017!

I was so happy with my studio time this year. Making new connections on Instagram and being involved with the Welcome Gallery in downtown Charlottesville, VA were also some highlights. So many things I want to accomplish in 2018: one is getting my art out into the world in an organized way, working on exciting compositions and bringing the magic of working on paper to canvas. I am also working on my teachers' certification. Hope all of your dreams come true in 2018!

Built on Broken Dreams

18” x 24”,

acrylic on canvas

Spring Blossoms

18” x 18”,

acrylic on canvas
Available

Alternate Paths II

14” x 17”, 

acrylic & cut paper on paper

Alternate Paths I

14” x 17”, 

acrylic & cut paper on paper

Where the Green Grass Grows II

14” x 16”, 

acrylic & cut paper on paper

Towering

14” x 17”, 

acrylic & cut paper on paper

Destination Vacation

24” x 36”,

acrylic on canvas

Available works on paper matted to 8" x 10"

Carol H. Barber © 2017

Pink Notes

This painting, Pink Notes, spoke to me in new ways. I find the process of collage so satisfying and an inventive way of working. I have been trying to bring that way of working into painting. This painting has some collage added to it and it has a history of layers but still retains some of it's initial thin washes. This is the first time I thought of shapes not just coming together to construct something but expanding apart and still relating to each other. I love finding those relationships and to me this is visually composing. I have very limited musical knowledge but this process and painting feels like visual music to me. Notes (or shapes) hanging in the air, expanding and leading to another.

Pink Notes, 12” x 24”,

acrylic and collaged paper on canvas, Carol H. Barber©2017

Sweet Secrets, 8” x 10”,

acrylic and collaged paper on paper, Carol H. Barber©2017

To Plan or Not to Plan

Today
Well, I am finally discovering that if I plan the direction of a painting that it takes longer to paint it than if I work with out a set plan. It is a revelation for me because I thought I was somehow making things easier by having a plan. With a plan, I do guarantee that I will have a better composition in the end but the process is not as satisfying. When I did California Poppies I made some shapes for composition, had some vague ideas of color and how I wanted to work the media but the imagery and subject matter developed toward the end of the process. A delight for me. Of course if it doesn't come together then it is very discouraging but if it works, it is elation. With Tree of Life I keep revising the colors, the marks and the media. It feels two inches thick. I have done this before, just when I think "okay it is going to work" and I make plans to send it somewhere, then it falls apart and I have to bring it back. Yesterday, I took a picture of it to post and discovered it looked worse than the last post and I thought it was surely done. Last night, I worked on the tree again, I felt it needed more outline marks to make the whole painting come together. In the previous version, I was trying to take the emphasis off of the tree and put it back on the atmosphere imagery around the tree. Too much thinking. I have been working on this since early August,ugh. But now it must be done, the show opening is just days away.
Yesterday