Artist Statement

Barbara McFarland

In this fast paced and impersonal age people have lost their sense of connection.  Establishing this spiritual connection for me is the basis for my work.  As I go on this quest, I invite the viewer of my work to participate.  I invite them to weave their way through my paintings and write their own stories using their own personal experiences and beliefs.  The fluid quality of my work allows the eye to move through the piece as time continues to move through our lives.  My work involves the interconnecting strings that hold time and place together.  Time is circular, always evolving, weaving together the past, present and the future.  Place concerns a particular place, season, stage of life.  This concept manifests itself in my use of space, line and shape.  Space shifts between positive and negative, line weaves space and time together and shapes take on a symbolic meaning.  Color creates a mood and works to continue the overall idea and feeling I want from each piece.  Ultimately I strive for a balanced yet exciting painting that can be enjoyed on many levels.

My subject matter comes from personal photos and objects.  I simplify and alter the subjects into interesting shapes that serve as the foundation for a painting.  This manipulation results in recognizable images interwoven with abstract shapes.  My materials are primarily different forms of paint, ink, canvas and paper combined into a painting.  Color plays an important role in my art.  Color has emotional properties of its own and has the ability to invoke personal responses from the viewer.  I like to experiment and find new ways to use materials to help get my idea or concept across.  This experimentation helps keep the act of painting exciting and stimulating for me.