Sunbursts of colour, balanced with deep sea-blues and blacks, are among the key features of Laura Barnes’ acrylic artwork, scheduled to be on display at Gallery at Central Plaza next month.
And while her skill with mixing bright and dark seems to come naturally, it’s actually a delicate balance that took years of lessons to finely tune, she said.
“It sort of developed over the last 10 years. I started off as a decorative painter, everything was smooth, no textures or anything. And I just started doing bright colours.
“For every bit of light you put in, you have to have at least equal amounts of dark in order for it to pop.”
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Barnes’ works are artistic renditions of photographs she has taken on the Semiahmoo Peninsula and beyond. Among recognizable landscapes included are the White Rock Pier, a scene in Crescent Beach, and a tree covered with a blanket of snow in Ocean Park. Her work also features people, including a piece she titled “Jimmy Sings,” featuring a local musician strumming a guitar.
Barnes’ mother, the late Alice Fisher, and her aunt, Teddie Stevenson, were not only a source of inspiration for her, but were among the founding members of the South Surrey and White Rock Art Society.
And while she says painting didn’t come naturally to her, the medium is, indeed, a family affair.
“I have 13 nieces and nephews and out of them, I would say, more than half of them are painters or draw. We can’t sing a note, but we do paint,” Barnes said.
Barnes expects to have 15 pieces of art for sale at the gallery, located at 15134 North Bluff Rd., throughout the month of February.
aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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