Taking classes at various private and public studios across Canada, including the Winnipeg Art Gallery and others, Barb has developed her flair for colourful nature painting. Flowers and foliage give her the greatest challenge and the most satisfaction.
Barb presents an unstructured approach to painting flowers, capturing their transparency without sacrificing colour. From pastel peonies to bright poppies, her paintings evoke the happiness of flowers in a seasonal landscape. Watercolours offer many colour options and, with colours mixing on the page, often produce startling and surprising results. Sometimes, Barb sees so many colours in a single leaf or petal, she must restrict her palette.
The journey of creating a painting is a long one, involving quick sketches, several washes and finally overglazes. Capturing the flower in full sunlight is its own challenge as colours show differently outside. Starting with a fully wet paper, she strives to stay loose and not get too focussed on the actual flower. Whenever she crosses over from a carefree to a precise rendering, the magic of painting disappears. She is happiest letting happy accidents and new colours flow freely.
Whether painting tulips in the garden or a vase, Barb enjoys the flower form. Her cottage in the boreal forest is an ideal painting studio with its natural light and window views. Amidst the towering poplars there she finds peace and joy, which she hopes you will share by visiting her on tour.