about

Barbara Stahler: Artist Statement

I was born and bred in Massachusetts. I am very fortunate that I lived at a time when public education recognized the great importance of the Arts and included those subjects in the curriculum. Consequently, I was making art throughout grammar school and that’s when my love of art began. At age 9, when my mom took our family on a fantastic cross country trip to visit many national parks and big western cities, I met the two people who were my inspirations.

My Great Uncle Nathan was an artist. He was my maternal grandmother’s brother and he emigrated to the US from Eastern Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. He always remarked that painting was an avocation that could serve one well even through old age. On one of my visits, I brought several paintings to show him and I asked him to choose one as a gift. He chose the one I titled, “My Dream” which I think, reflected his playful character. We used to be penpals, and in one letter he wrote how wonderful it would be if I could hop on a plane to California, go out for an ice cream sundae with him, and then return to Massachusetts all on the same day. My other inspiration was my adopted Aunt Natalie. She was my mom’s best friend from high school. She was the coolest lady-she was an artist, a dancer, a singer, and a poet. She also sold a line of athletic clothing which were decorated with her designs of dancers. I still have a few which I cherish. I miss them both very much.

For years my medium has been almost exclusively watercolor. Recently, I have added pastels and colored pencils to my toolbox. I love to paint and draw. I love the vibrant colors. I love to express my views on important issues of the day as well as my own personal feelings through the painted medium.