My productivity since 2014 / 2015. Please scroll down to see all listed activities.
2015 Exhibitions
"Paintings on Paper and Jewelry by Ross Barbera," Sachem Public Library, from January 2 - 31, 2015 150 Holbrook Road, Holbrook, NY 11741 - Solo Exhibition
"Ross Barbera: Paintings, 1981 - 2014," The Anthony Giordano Gallery, Dowling College, January 21 – March 7, 2015
Reception: March 1, 2015 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Art Talk: 2:00 pm - Solo Exhibition
"UNCLEAR: Abstract Interpretations," OMNI Gallery, 333 Earle Ovington Blvd., Uniondale, N.Y. 11553 Feb. 8 – May 17, 2015.
Reception: March 15, 2015 - Group Exhibition
"Sunlit Landscapes and Flowers by Ross Barbera," Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11355, Summer 2015 - Solo Exhibition (as soon as the exhibition dates are finalized, I'll post them here)
"Ross Barbera: Paintings, 1981 - 2014," The Anthony Giordano Gallery, Dowling College, January 21 – March 7, 2015
Reception: March 1, 2015 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Art Talk: 2:00 pm - Solo Exhibition
"UNCLEAR: Abstract Interpretations," OMNI Gallery, 333 Earle Ovington Blvd., Uniondale, N.Y. 11553 Feb. 8 – May 17, 2015.
Reception: March 15, 2015 - Group Exhibition
"Sunlit Landscapes and Flowers by Ross Barbera," Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11355, Summer 2015 - Solo Exhibition (as soon as the exhibition dates are finalized, I'll post them here)
"UNCLEAR: Abstract Interpretations," OMNI Gallery, 333 Earle Ovington Blvd., Uniondale, N.Y. 11553 Feb. 8 – May 17, 2015.
"Ross Barbera: Paintings, 1981 - 2014," The Anthony Giordano Gallery, Dowling College, January 21 – March 7, 2015
Click on the thumbnails below to see photographs of my Sachem, Dowling and Omni exhibitions.
Representational Paintings
The paintings shown below represent new work and reflect the continued development of my techniques and aesthetic philosophy which has been focused on landscapes, flowers and close-up views since the 1970s.
My current botanical paintings represent a departure from my standard method of painting in watercolor, the "Classic Transparent Method" which has been my technique for decades. Having grown dissatisfied with certain limitations imposed by this method, and in an effort to create much more durable image surfaces that do not require protection by framing behind glass, but still retaining the watercolor look, I have modified my method of watercolor painting in an effort to enhance the surface durability of my paintings, and make them comparable in strength and flexibility to acrylic on canvas. (Traditionally executed watercolor paintings need to be framed and mounted behind glass to protect their delicate painted surfaces.) Still using the classic transparent technique of watercolor painting for building my paintings, I have modified the method of paper preparation to include mounting the paper onto linen canvas using a thick polymer medium suitable for binding paper to canvas; therefore, my new watercolor paintings no longer fit the criteria of pure watercolor painting, and now fall into the category of mixed media. The paintings shown here incorporate this new mounting technique. To further strengthen the painted surface and eliminate the need for framing behind glass, the final painting is coated with multiple layers of a permanent acrylic varnish. This varnish not only protects the watercolor painted surface by transforming it into an acrylic layer, it also restores the original "wet look" to the watercolor paint, thus achieving what I originally intended during the actual painting process. Mounting watercolor paper onto stretched canvas imparts flexibility to the painted surface, and contributes to the elimination of damage if something should fall into the painting. A flexible surface “gives” on impact and minimizes the potential for tears or scratches. Another advantage of mounting watercolor paper on canvas is that it liberates scale. Large scale has always been an important compositional element in my acrylic and oil paintings, but traditional framing methods for watercolor that require glass are "scale restrictive" because of a number of reasons including cost. Since my new method eliminates the requirement of glass, I can now use watercolor painting techniques to build paintings four feet and larger.
In my ongoing botanical series I will continue to concentrate on close-up views of flowers that I have photographed in greenhouse arboretums and natural environments. Flower paintings represent an extension on my landscape painting in which I also prefer close up views, and I originally discovered flowers as subject matter through a process of zooming in closer and closer to landscape surfaces.
What attracts me to close-up views of flowers is their dynamic range of colors and unusual forms which enable me to experiment more freely with composition and depart from the more architectonic structuring of elements that is seen in my landscape paintings. The process of photographing flowers at extreme close range in search of subject matter is what led me to pure abstraction. I discuss my abstract work in the next section.
Educational Video Series
My video series represents an investigation into methods of painting, digital painting and jewelry construction. The video series is available on YouTube and Vimeo, and the series has grown to include more than 70 video productions that range from approximately 30 minutes to 90 minutes in length. To date my videos have received over three million views. This has been an Ongoing Project, since 2009. Visit my YouTube channel "realisticart" to see a complete listing of my painting and jewelry videos.
Abstract Paintings
The camera has always been my primary tool for acquiring subject matter to paint. Although representational landscape painting has dominated my artistic direction since the 1970s, observing natural water surfaces at extreme close range through the camera's lens has resulted in photographs and paintings in which the dominant landscape theme has transformed into nebulously luminous forms within microcosmic worlds of pure abstraction.
In my abstract paintings, I look at the natural sunlight world of the northeast landscape, but now zoom in so close to my subject - shallow surfaces of water, water droplets, ice and glass interacting with sunlight - that recognizable objects dissolve into the non-representational.
I think of this work as images of abstract, hidden places that I have discovered within the natural, recognizable world, and I see these paintings as closely related to my representational work, especially my flower paintings. Additionally some of the abstract paintings are compositionally influenced by my representational landscape paintings and retain a landscape feeling that results from the architectonic placement of horizontal and vertical elements.
In my abstract work sunlight has become the dominant theme. Enjoying temporary freedom from the visual demands of realism, I am free to work with form, color, luminosity and gravity independent of the concerns that apply to representational visions.
The following photographs are from my current abstract research that I have selected to develop into paintings. I am represented by 3 large abstract paintings in a group show at the Omni Gallery that runs until May 17, 2015.
In my abstract paintings, I look at the natural sunlight world of the northeast landscape, but now zoom in so close to my subject - shallow surfaces of water, water droplets, ice and glass interacting with sunlight - that recognizable objects dissolve into the non-representational.
I think of this work as images of abstract, hidden places that I have discovered within the natural, recognizable world, and I see these paintings as closely related to my representational work, especially my flower paintings. Additionally some of the abstract paintings are compositionally influenced by my representational landscape paintings and retain a landscape feeling that results from the architectonic placement of horizontal and vertical elements.
In my abstract work sunlight has become the dominant theme. Enjoying temporary freedom from the visual demands of realism, I am free to work with form, color, luminosity and gravity independent of the concerns that apply to representational visions.
The following photographs are from my current abstract research that I have selected to develop into paintings. I am represented by 3 large abstract paintings in a group show at the Omni Gallery that runs until May 17, 2015.
Jewelry
Jewelry has been part of my creative output since the 1970's, and by the mid 1980's my jewelry evolved from metal only to mixed media assemblages that included working in paper and other materials. My most recent jewelry represents an extension of my painting into the area of wearable art, and I think of my jewelry creations as miniature paintings on shaped canvas. The following images show a sampling of jewelry objects that I created during 2014. I exhibited new paintings and jewelry objects in a solo exhibition at the Sachem Public Library, from January 2 - 31, 2015.
Exhibitions 2013 / 2014
Group Exhibition:
Port-to-Port: Bridging the Sound Through Art Exchange Exhibition
November 7, 2013 – November 23, 2013
Read’s Art Building in Downtown Bridgeport
This exhibition included:
1. “Stony Brook: Mid-Summer,” Watercolor on Paper 22" x 30"
2. "Blades of Grass," Acrylic on Canvas, 62" x 46"
3. "Early May: Red Orchids, “Watercolor on Paper, 22"x 30"
Magazine Article:
by Chesley, Susan. "Watercolor Jewelry" Jewelry Affaire. Winter 2014: pag. 21 – 23. (This article featured my technique for creating watercolor paper bracelets.)
Port-to-Port: Bridging the Sound Through Art Exchange Exhibition
November 7, 2013 – November 23, 2013
Read’s Art Building in Downtown Bridgeport
This exhibition included:
1. “Stony Brook: Mid-Summer,” Watercolor on Paper 22" x 30"
2. "Blades of Grass," Acrylic on Canvas, 62" x 46"
3. "Early May: Red Orchids, “Watercolor on Paper, 22"x 30"
Magazine Article:
by Chesley, Susan. "Watercolor Jewelry" Jewelry Affaire. Winter 2014: pag. 21 – 23. (This article featured my technique for creating watercolor paper bracelets.)
Educational Video Series
During the academic period of 2013 - 2014, I produced 17 new videos on my watercolor methods of painting, digital painting and jewelry construction. The videos ranged in length from approximately 30 minutes to 90 minutes.
Exhibitions 2012 / 2013.
Solo Show: "Paintings and Watercolor Jewelry at The Huntington Public Library January 7 - February 26, 2012
Two Person Show: "Local Landscapes," OMNI Gallery, 333 Earle Ovington Blvd., Uniondale, N.Y., January 6 - April 7, 2013
Solo Show: "Ross Barbera," 780 Third Avenue, NYC, November 11 - March 10, 2013
Educational Video Series
Producing my first instructional videos around 2007, I discovered the potential of the video format as an instructional supplement to my studio courses. This clearly is the best way to capture my painting and jewelry construction demonstrations, and make them available to my students over the Internet. By 2009 I was devoting a significant amount of time and money to the production of educational type videos that featured my original jewelry making and painting techniques. Similar in production time to my paintings, the videos are labor intensive. To produce a single finished video of approximately 30 minutes requires about 120 hours of work time, including all video recording, and video and audio editing.