Mary Beth Barrett

Winter Pots

Oil on Panel

14.25 x 17.25 x 1"

$575

The stark beauty of dead lavender and empty pots awaiting the spring called to me. I love when the unexpected reveals itself in plain sight. When those moments happen I honor them by painting them.

Artist Statement:

I am fascinated with the illusion of three dimensionality on a two dimensional surface. Creating depth, texture and the illusion of reality is magical to me. I want the viewer to feel that they can pick up the objects, touch the faces, feel the breeze. I love the challenge of creating those tactile impressions. My years as a dancer/choreographer working in a three dimensional, rectangular space and creating impermanent work have led me to seek its opposite. But the irony is that what I create with paint on a flat surface feels more spacious than the works I created on stage. That tension between reality and illusion, dimensionality of space and making the impermanent permanent is what motivates all my work today.