ARTIST
Barbara DeMott
Artist Biography
Background
I have always focused on arts since childhood, and later fascinated by the variations of the human cultural experience, I completed a PhD in Art History and Cultural Anthropology, at Columbia University, in New York City. Coming to Vancouver, Canada in 1976, I taught world Art History courses at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Langara College and Simon Fraser University. After almost 25 years teaching in Vancouver, I went on to teach at the University of Hawaii, as a visiting professor. Surrounded by budding artists and stimulated by research in Asia and Africa, art in its many forms and media has always been a part of my life. During my years of teaching in order to understand my subject matter at an intuitive level, I studied Chinese brush painting and calligraphy, with noted artists from China as well as Japanese tea ceremony, and Bharata Natyam dance. I was rewarded by my teacher with a Chinese name, Baolan, which I use to sign my paintings. My experiences in diverse cultural art forms has informed my understanding of art making.
It was only after I retired from teaching and have had the opportunity to spend many long hours hiking and walking in the forest and on the beaches, that I have been able to focus on my paintings. Over the years, I have been represented in exhibitions in Canada and the U.S.A.
Education
BA, MA, and PhD, Columbia University, New York City. I have exhibited brush painting in Canada and Japan. I have exhibited my watercolors and oils in public galleries and private collections in Canada,
Events
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Artist Statement
For me, painting the landscape is an emotional response to the connection I feel with the energies, both fierce and gentle, that surround me in the forests and beaches around my Pacific Northwest home. Some days the forest beams with warmth and the shimmering light is filled with earthy richness and bird song. Other times the stormy seas and wailing winds reveal a dark, intimidating power. In my daily walks, I marvel in the light, colours, and energy experienced here and hope to portray moments spent in this natural cathedral. Since I am compelled by a sense of urgency for the human world which has become increasingly alienated from the earth and its beauty, I need to reaffirm my connection to nature through imagined painted landscapes.
My painted landscapes reflect my experience of nature's vitality with a limited palette, soft gaze, and balance of positive and negative rather than a representation of a particular place. I enjoy mixing mediums such as brilliant pigments of watercolour and pastel with a cold wax overlay. I like to use oil paint in thin washes mixed with walnut oil. I often use spatulas, wiping, and my fingers rather than brushes. Recently I have discovered gold leaf and use acrylics as a further way to accent colour and movement in my paintings.
Latest Work
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My Artistic Style
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Ask Barbara
► Helping The People of Maui Fire
► The Spirit of The Forest
© 2024 Barbara DeMott
