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Barbara Roberts McKinnon

 

“It’s not what you look at, it’s what you see”.  What do you see…

 

The phrase that would most represent the way I feel about Art and the work that I do as well as the work that I like is:

 

When I work with mixed media I am reminded that we live in a colorful world full of texture, color and depth that stimulate a variety of different emotional responses.  As individuals we all see things differently, even though we may be looking at the same thing.  As an Artist I want the viewer to have a personal experience with the work created, enabling the viewer to take the art form to their own place, not necessarily the same place as the other viewers.  We all have our own “pot of stew” in the garden of life containing a variety of ingredients (life experiences) that contribute to who we are and how we view different materials.

 

As an Artist I love the challenge of new experiences with media and often enjoy the comfort of working with traditional sources such as charcoals and acrylic & oil paint. My true passion lies within my love for and designing and exploring with textiles, including pattern design and illustration. I have done several weddings and truly enjoy the design world.  There is nothing that is more satisfying than to take someone’s idea from the drawing board to the finished product.   I have a small business creating commission paintings and painting murals that gives me a personal outlet to connect with the public.  This is not only a source for extra income but an avenue to get response from the general public.  One must have a “thick skin” to deal with the public, I don’t take opinions personal, positive and negative, opinions are indeed just that…Opinions.

 

Working with troubled youth was a venture that I only by chance discovered when I volunteered at a youth center and began an art class that soon changed my life and my passion for the benefits that art can bring to these young challenged hearts.  I watched as the classes progressed through the weeks, these students began to find a healing in the art they produced and looked so forward each week to the sessions.  I usually had a group of 10 to 12 and never once had an incident or negative disruption.  It was then that I realized the power of self- expression.   I truly believe that in art as well as many other aspects of life, “it is not what you look at, it is what you see”.

 

My goal as an Art Teacher is to equip the students with the ability to be able to find the best within themselves and the world around them. 

 

Teaching Art at the school and the downtown studio was fulfilling to me, but I left to be home more with my young teenager and enjoy working creatively from my home studio.  I enjoyed bringing Art to the community to assist in creating a positive and nourishing environment to both old & young.

 

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