Barbara Berkheiser

I freely explore a painterly, realistic style with my love of color and the bounce of light. "Moonlight is sculpture, sunlight is painting." (Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804-1864) His observation of nature resonates with me, and my approach to painting. The Earth speaks to us in many voices - which change over time. At this place and time I find I am responding to the voices of light, heat & humidity and the nuances of my new surroundings in a coastal environment. I have always relished the gifts of nature; the sparkle of wet sand, the frailty of the egret's silhouette, and the divine parallel of water, earth and sky.

The unconstrained beauty of nature feeds our spirits and teaches us how to embrace the moment and how to then embrace the inevitable change which follows. Whenever the sunlight touches a form, the feeling of gratitude washes over me - grateful for the opportunity to try to capture what I see on canvas. I attempt to embody a stewardship of nature in my paintings - and when I succeed it is my gift to you, the observer.

Barbara now lives and paints in Apalachicola, Florida.