Barbara Davies Bio

Barbara 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 paintings are inspired by her trips to France and Italy, where she is 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.