Charlie Barr

, shapes and shadows that naturally occur within nature. Anyone can view nature from straight on, but to see what’s not there and capture that onto canvas is where I find my inspiration and challenge. I take a similar approach with the subject matter of my figurative pieces; the figures typically being in motion with significant directional lighting to add a sense of dimension so that the viewer can imagine being there. My work incorporates a blending of traditional and modern techniques. I use cement veneer over wood instead of the traditional canvas-and-stretcher-bar along with acrylic paints. For years, I had worked strictly within the traditional form of oil on canvas with molding paste to create texture within my pieces, but as my style evolved it became clear that fast drying acrylics were a better fit for my paintings. When I transitioned from oils to acrylics, I began to also experiment with various substrates which led me to building my own boxes and adding a thin veneer of cement to the top and sides to create texture. The cement finish has an acrylic binding medium that gives the piece more strength and flexibility while still adding the visual and physical texture I wanted for each piece to maintain the common element that tie all of my paintings together as a consistent body of work. In creating these pieces, my goal is to produce work that captures the feeling and rush of being outdoors and exploring. That by enhancing the elements, I am giving the viewer the same sense of wonder that they would feel if they there in that location in that moment.