BARBARA J. HART STUDIO BLOG

What's on the Easel?

2012-01-23T22:43:00.000-05:00

"Lone Tree" by Barbara J. Hart, 24" x 24"

oil/collage on canvas

Here’s the painting on my easel this week. A walk through a Pennsylvania meadow inspired this painting/collage. I love to study trees, don’t you? I’m inspired by how they exist in the landscape. The power in the form of a tree with branches reaching out in various directions encloses you and at the same time is open. I’m investigating landscape and how it implies a distant space and at the same time restricting the tree to a square or rectangle. In my attempt to observe trees I also investigate painting as a process and my relationship to the landscape.

RELAX ALONG SIDE A NYC WATER TOWER

2011-12-23T12:34:00.001-05:00

Pillow made from my painting of NYC water tower

I recently found an on-line source for designing and printing fabric. I thought it would be a fun to see what one of my paintings looked like as a pillow. What do you think?

Three Cups

2011-06-12T17:09:00.008-04:00

Three Cup, oil on board, 24" x 30" - Barbara J. Hart

I'm back in the studio and it feels good! I've been attempting to grab more time in the studio whether it is at 6:00 AM or at 10:30 PM. I'm finding that even a half hour here and there is better than nothing. I work a full-time job that takes a whole lot of energy, and many times by the end of the week I'm not really sure what Art is anymore! I'm exhausted and feel disconnected from my creative self. And, I'm not alone, so many of my artist friends struggle with the same issues.

This past year I've been working to create schedules for myself. I have a schedule for studio time, a schedule for marketing my work and last but not least (although the toughest for me), a schedule to post to my blog. In addition to my little snippets of time during the week I save the serious time (4-5 hours) for Saturday and Sunday. Let's see how it works!

Bits and Pieces - mixed media with beeswax

2010-10-24T14:42:00.005-04:00

Barbara J. Hart, Bits & Pieces #3, 10" x 6" ... Mixed media brushed with beeswax

Collage #3 - another mixed media finished with a layer of beeswax.

Bits and Pieces - Mixed Media - 10" x 6"

2010-09-25T21:46:00.012-04:00

Here's the Latest!
Mixed media on board with a layer of beeswax. 10" x 6"

Bits and Pieces - Constructing a Collage Mixed Media with Beeswax 10" x 6.5"

2010-09-13T20:09:00.018-04:00

Bits and Pieces – Constructing a Collage

Over the years I’ve accumulated a collection of old ticket stubs, boxes of maps, beads and shells among many other trinkets. I am drawn to things worn and the mystery of a previous life. I so appreciate smokey patinas and aged surfaces.

Here is one of four collages recently created in the studio. Using torn papers, tattered letters and architectural images, I create a relationship among the various elements. Incorporating fragments rather than whole pieces of found materials provide a sense of intent and accident. Adding a postage stamp places the work in a specific place and time in the world while functioning as an element to balance the picture. Each collage is on wood and finished with a translucent layer of melted beeswax to give it a vintage feel.

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working" Pablo Picasso

2010-06-10T22:00:00.007-04:00

Clouds Outside My Window

Do you ever go looking for inspiration? Where do you find yours? You can find it almost anywhere, a walk down the street, a poem or right outside your window. I’ve been finding my inspiration with Kelly Rae Roberts’ e-course, Flying Lessons: Tips + Tricks to Help Your Creative Business Soar. Check out the button on the right side of this post!

One of my goals for the class is to begin posting on a regular basis, so what better way to begin than to quote Pablo Picasso.

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.”

One day while working in the studio this delicious cloud appeared (photo above) in my window and I couldn’t resist grabbing my camera to capture its beauty before returning to my painting. By capturing its image I'm able to keep its beauty in sight and feel inspired by that moment.

Kelly Rae writes about “inspiration + passion + commitment” as necessary ingredients as “we chase after our creative business dreams.” She speaks extensively about the importance of making connections and having to start somewhere. Don't you think that the creative process, whether in the studio or on the business side is about commitment and flexibility and allowing things to unfold. Again I think Picasso says it so well:

“I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else.”

So, here are my meager beginnings and hopeful post. I promise I will tell you all about the adventure of having an opening on the Eastern Shore of Virginia during the remnants of Hurricane Ida and a Nor’easter, or as some people call it, Friday the 13^th Storm!

2009-11-08T01:55:00.013-05:00

Preview of New Works for Upcoming Show at Richardson Gallery
24 King Street, Onancock, VA (Eastern Shores)
757-789-3151
Opening Reception on November 13 from 5 - 8 pm

Where has the time gone!

The summer has just flown by and posting to this blog has been rather sparse. It's been a busy time with some solid creative work in the studio. Aside from my studio activities, work and other goings on, I am always distracted with the adventures and opportunities of my life and negligent in posting my work. My life sometimes is a whirlwind of activities and people, but I wanted to give you a sneak preview of some of the paintings that will be included in my upcoming exhibit.

My current paintings explore landscape. Images inhabit fields of color that divide and sub-divide the picture plane and capture the spirit of a place; a visual journal of memory. I attempt to capture the beauty of subjects encountered in daily life but often overlooked. A walk down a city street or a stroll through a rural landscape elicits a unique experience with a particular sense of light, feeling and texture.

I find beauty in the commonplace. My landscapes are reduced to simplified forms, visual icons that capture the essence. Empty fields, a stand of trees, and tree branches are my inspiration for my rural landscape paintings. I attempt to give them new perspective through simplicity and color.

Rarely acknowledged, often overlooked, New York City water towers exist on another plateau. They inspire me to look up in this bustling city. I paint the simple elevated wooden barrels to bring attention to the quiet beauty of these relics of our urban environment

I paint a tapestry of colors and moods of living in the city or the serenity the rural vista. My work investigates the process of painting as tactile, layered and object-like. The surfaces are worked so evidence of underlying images is revealed to suggest the passage of time. My color palette is inspired by time spent in New Mexico and in the Pacific Northwest.

Enjoy!

Look Up!

2009-11-08T01:09:00.006-05:00

Look Up!, Acrylic/collage/stencil on canvas, 12" x 16"

Water Tower and Vessel

2009-11-08T01:07:00.003-05:00

Water Tower and Vessel, Acrylic/collage on canvas, 11" x 14"

A Distant Field

2009-11-08T01:05:00.004-05:00

A Distant Field, Oil on canvas, 18" x 24"

Blossoms

2009-11-08T01:02:00.006-05:00

Blossoms, Oil on canvas, 12" x 30"

Summer Breeze

2009-11-08T01:00:00.005-05:00

Summer Breeze, Oil on canvas, 12" x 30"

A Whisper

2009-11-08T00:57:00.005-05:00

A Whisper, Oil on canvas, 12" x 30"

Boat Study #1

2009-11-08T00:54:00.005-05:00

Boat Study #1, Acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Three Towers

2009-11-08T00:50:00.004-05:00

Three Towers, Acrylic/aliminum plate/collage on board 23" x 36"

Dog Day Afternoon

2009-11-08T00:47:00.006-05:00

Dog Day Afternoon, Acrylic/collage on canvas, 11" x 14"

59th Street Bridge and Water Tower

2009-11-08T00:45:00.007-05:00

59th Street Bridge and Water Tower, Acrylic/woodcut print on canvas
11" x 14"

Three Vessles

2009-11-08T00:40:00.004-05:00

Three Vessels, Acrylic/collage on canvas, 14" x 18"

A Vista of Trees

2009-11-08T00:33:00.006-05:00

A Vista of Trees, Acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Water tower and Collage

2009-11-08T00:31:00.005-05:00

Water tower and Collage, Acrylic/collage on canvas, 12" x 12"

Landscape Diptych

2009-11-08T00:28:00.002-05:00

Landscape Diptych, Acrylic/collage on paper, 14.5" x 14"

A Quiet Stroll

2009-11-08T00:25:00.004-05:00

A Quiet Stroll, Oil on canvas, 9' x 12"

Preview of Upcoming Show

2009-11-07T23:35:00.008-05:00

Where has the time gone! The summer has just flown by and posting to this blog has been rather sparse. It's been a busy time with some solid creative time in the studio. Aside from my studio activities, work and other goings on, I am always distracted with the adventures and opportunities of my life and negligent in posting my work. My life sometimes is a whirlwind of activities and people, but I wanted to give you a sneak preview of some of the paintings that will be included in my upcoming exhibit.

My current paintings explore landscape. Images inhabit fields of color that divide and sub-divide the picture plane and capture the spirit of a place; a visual journal of memory. I attempt to capture the beauty of subjects encountered in daily life but often overlooked. A walk down a city street or a stroll through a rural landscape elicits a unique experience with a particular sense of light, feeling and texture.

I find beauty in the commonplace. My landscapes are reduced to simplified forms, visual icons that capture the essence. Empty fields, a stand of trees, and tree branches are my inspiration for my rural landscape paintings. I attempt to give them new perspective through simplicity and color.

Rarely acknowledged, often overlooked, New York City water towers exist on another plateau. They inspire me to look up in this bustling city. I paint the simple elevated wooden barrels to bring attention to the quiet beauty of these relics of our urban environment

I paint a tapestry of colors and moods of living in the city or the serenity the rural vista. My work investigates the process of painting as tactile, layered and object-like. The surfaces are worked so evidence of underlying images is revealed to suggest the passage of time. My color palette is inspired by time spent in New Mexico and in the Pacific Northwest.

Enjoy!

Painting of Two Towers and Vessel

2009-04-19T22:05:00.008-04:00

"Two Towers and Vessel", 9" x 12" (c) Barbara J. Hart

This painting is a quiet piece. It is soft in tone and mood. There was more manipulation of the surface in this painting. The top portion especially was sanded and reworked. The pattern on the right side reflects my love of textiles and I couldn’t resist working it into the painting. It has an ethereal feel, of a place once visited, perhaps a walk down a city street on an overcast morning.

Painting of Water Tower and Collage

2009-04-19T21:30:00.011-04:00

"Water Tower and Collage", 12" x 12" (c) Barbara J. Hart

Here’s another painting in the Water Tower Series. The water tower, collage images and shell come together by association. The images coexist through abstraction. Each image serves as a symbol of an idea, an object in time. In the painting process, images emerge and disappear. Stencils are added and erased. Sometimes an image gets wiped away or sanded out to reveal underlying layers. Each object affects the other as elements shift within the picture plane. The working of the surface represents the passage of time.

Tower 'n Shell Painting

2009-03-29T22:31:00.012-04:00

This painting is one in a series that explores my fascination with water towers.

Water towers dot rooftops with a rustic nod to convenience. Perched high above roofs, they sit on platforms on long legs and ensure adequate drinking water for the city. These humble wooden towers are true symbols of New York City.

The wooden cisterns hover above rooftops.Rarely acknowledged or noticed; the holding tanks exist on another plateau. They inspire me to look up in this city bustling with activity. In contrast to the steel, glass and concrete, these simple elevated wooden barrels are viable relics in our urban environment.

The series explores the water tower from various perspectives and associations. I combine the tower's image with painted and collage elements.