Born in eastern Canada, Barbara is informed by the natural world, rocky edges, the sky and ever changing atmosphere. A love of the earth, growing things, the environment, and its impacts our lives provides a richness of inspiration and a deeper meaning to her work. Coastlines, cliffs, water and forests emerge as a common element as does the beauty and fragility of everyday growth in fleeting light. A selective palette, expressive brush and knife strokes, capture the subtle light and colour of passing moments.
While formally educated in Math and Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, and then Art and Art History at the University of Toronto, Mississauga and Sheridan College, she has furthered her education with private studies and research, delving deeper into topics such as design, colour and messaging which have all deepened her art practice. Believing that education is a continuing journey for herself and others; she shares her knowledge by volunteering, teaching and demonstrating in the GTA. Her work has been accepted into juried and curated exhibitions in Canada and the United States as well can be found in many private and corporate collections.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

From across Canada and beyond, our souls can be moved by the simple act of just being in the forest. The process of new life that takes place at the base of giants is a metropolis in itself, with the constant cycle of life, death and life again, it is not unlike our own human lives. A network of roots, moss, fungi and insects entangle themselves in the magic of each other’s webs of restoration and regrowth. A series of paintings have emerged from the observation of the shapes, colours, smells and silences of Canada’s boreal forests and the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, honouring the ancients and not so ancients, messages for the environment are particularly intense in this seemingly time of loss for our planet’s wildest places.