© 2020 BARBARA CARTER DECORATIVE ARTS • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

For me, paint has always been the miracle. With a few strokes, a wall or a piece of furniture, or literally almost anything, can be transformed into something with an entirely different feeling and presence. Being a part of this transformational process is one of the great joys of my life. In the realm of furniture, I particularly enjoy working with older pieces, which tend to be more substantially made. As an artist, to embellish these pieces with painterly details adds another layer of fun and interest, with one of a kind results.

As aforementioned, once I discovered assemblage, my desire to paint dimin-ished to a great degree. I do love it, however, and have taken it up again. Painting is guaranteed to put me in “the zone”, where time stands still and I think of nothing else – even hitting the refrigerator. Best diet plan, ever! My paintings are simple, with a rather layered, flat effect, a process which I have come to enjoy. As always, color is crucial in setting a feeling, and I learn something new every time – lessons I happily apply to my design work.

For years I have enjoyed creating framed 3-D cards for the special people in my life – elaborate, detailed labors of love. I have also developed a simpler version of the 3-D card which is built on a small canvas and unframed.

These past months I have been tutored by my very talented and patient brother, who has introduced his Luddite sister to the joys of computer graphics. I am now quite enamored of applying my new-found skills to cards. I am not giving up working with my hands, but it offers a new dimension that I find both challenging and thrilling.

Perhaps LABELS is overstating it – as this is my very first one! I absolutely, thoroughly, enjoyed the entire process. My clients, with whom I have done a number of design projects, were kind enough to give me a shot at it, and it made me long to do more! Working for months – and often years – on one interior design project, it’s refreshing to engage in an art form which has, by comparison, a very brief turnaround time! I was given direction (their beloved bulldog Mac in appropriate garb noire), and took it from there. My friend who is a long term graphic artist helped in a number of ways, adding his eye for subtle computerized detail. I am happy with the combination of hand drawing and digital enhancements – offerings from both worlds.

Although I started out as a painter, I discovered assemblage in my early 30’s and never looked back. Assemblage fulfills my need to work in 3-D, and for someone such as myself who loves to collect, it is the perfect medium.

Essentially one is building a small world, and assemblage provides a wonderful opportunity to explore various design styles, motifs and color schemes. Almost every element in each assemblage is a found object. Aside from that, I always do a bit of hand painting or sculpting. I find it to be most satisfying, and with diverse themes, is a kind of lab at times for full-scale design projects.