smith island art league

It seems as if I have spent my whole life getting ready for now. Over the years I have worked with various media to fulfill my drive to create: From nurturing creativity in my children to painting ornaments and home decor, designing my homes so colors and fabrics flowed, or photographing beautiful scenery while traveling or visiting our home on Bald Head Island, each endeavor began with the intention of capturing and creating something beautiful to share. 

In 2018 I took my first oil painting class. I was eager to learn but uncertain when or how I would find the time to paint. Then, in March of 2020 a pandemic hit our world. We were all quarantined for months on end, with no place to go and limited things we could do. For me, being quarantined also had a silver lining, as during that time my bona fide art studio was born! Rather than be consumed with managing life and work in a disrupted world, I shifted my time and energy to the focused, contemplative space of oil painting. I poured over art books, experimented with color, shapes and shading and studied with recognized artists, including Prudy Weaver and Mark Carder, so that I could advance my skills. And as each of my paintings emerged on canvas (sometimes more than once!), I realized refining my technique would fill the rest of my life. Meanwhile, while the world burdened by a pandemic continued to swirl madly around me, my studio became my place of peaceful refuge. 
 

I draw my inspiration from nature, its exquisite details, vast scale, and timelessness. My paintings capture quiet moments of ocean sunsets, soft marsh grasses, and still life studies of flowers and fruit. All are calming, a response to a world in need of peace. 

May you find moments of peace in my paintings. I hope they speak to you as they have to me!

 

Quotes:

"From this, the treasure secretly gathered in your heart will become evident through your creative work."   Albrecht Dürer.

 

“The practice of art isn't to make a living. It's to make your soul grow.”    Kurt Vonnegut.

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Website: www.barbarahunterart.com

Email: barbara@barbarahunterart.com