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Looking Out at Paris Rain
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Barbara
Davies began painting historical homes and landscapes in her native New England
when she was a child.
She studied art in Boston, where she was influenced by realist artists
Wyeth, Hopper and Richard Estes.
Barbara graduated with high distinction from the California College of
Art in Oakland, and went on to graduate school at St Mary’s College where she
earned two teaching credentials, one in art. She lives with her family in
Northern CA. Barbara’s recent series of oil paintings were inspired by a tour of France and Italy, where she was intrigued by the faded advertisements painted on the walls of aging buildings. Many of the advertisements (now vintage posters) remind us of a past where life seemed less frantic - a time when one dressed for dinner, shared a glass of wine over a leisurely meal, or spent the afternoon bicycling or touring the countryside in an 'open car'. Barbara asks the viewer to pause and reflect on those times ..... Her canvasses attempt to capture the interplay of light, shadow, and color in the courtyards, cafes, and gardens of Europe, where the genteel past blends so easily with the present. Hidden side streets, passageways, shuttered windows and garden paths invite the viewer to slow down, and to explore and reflect. Starting
with sketches, taken from life or photographs, Barbara builds up thin layers of
translucent oil paint, striving for a luminous quality.
She takes the real and pushes it to the edge.
Capturing the viewers’ eyes from across the room, Barbara's
paintings, rather than falling apart, reveal something new. Upon closer
inspection, the viewer might notice a warmly lit room behind partly closed
curtains, glimpse tables set for dinner through an open cafe door, or notice an
assortment of antique books and magazines through a store front window. Many
of Barbara's paintings hang in galleries, and in private and corporate collections
throughout the world.
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