Capturing The Enchantment of The Forest

Barbara Brown, barbarabrownart.com, is an artist, author and forest-walker, from the wilds of British Columbia, Canada. She combines her deep connection to the natural world with her mission to bring the beauty and wonder of the forest to others.

For over 25 years, Barbara has had a daily practice of walking in the forest where she lives, and her intimate knowledge of this forest is evident in her work. She captures the essence of the woodland as her love for it shines through.

Banner image: Detail of Grand Sweeping Spiralling, oil on canvas, 16″ x 20″

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Marilyn’s Forest, oil on canvas, 20″ x 16″. This painting was selected for the Manhattan Arts International “HerStory 2024” Invitational Online Exhibition. 

She paints in a realistic and lyrical style, with the impression of a fair amount of detail. Her depiction of the forest is further enhanced in every painting by a touch of other-worldliness.

Every painting contains an aspect of symbolism or sacred geometry to convey the feeling behind the image, and to accentuate the mystery and the magic of the woods. Often this aspect is hidden, not immediately obvious to the viewer, adding to the enchantment of the work.

Barbara is masterful at depicting the depths of the forest, drawing the viewer into the painting.

Huginn & Muninn, oil on canvas, 20″ x 30″. This painting was selected for “The Healing Power of Art Inspired by Nature” 2024 Exhibition on our other website The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS.

Barbara has exhibited and won awards in juried exhibitions, and she shows her work annually locally in the Columbia Basin Culture Tour. Her work is in many private collections.

Barbara shares that 2024 was quite a year for her, with a five week solo show at Kootenay Gallery of Art — her regional public gallery, and the launch of her second book Volume II, SYLVAN REFLECTIONS: Wanderings, Paintings & Ponderings From the Forest plus the premiere of the book’s companion film: “On BEAUTY, As We Come to it in the Forest”.

Stone Portal to Beyond, oil on canvas, 16″ x 20″.

Barbara has published two beautifully designed books, Volumes I & II, SYLVAN REFLECTIONS: Wanderings, Paintings & Ponderings From the Forest, each containing 16 of her forest paintings along with poetic writings about the inspiration and the wonder to be found in her deep connection with the natural world. 

Each book also comes with a half-hour companion film of stunning footage of the forests where she lives, a gorgeous original music sound track, and a narration by the artist herself, guiding you to sink into the beauty and the wisdom of the wildwoods.

Who Rides the Mists, oil on canvas, 12″ x 24″

Barbara entreats us to: “Envision a world where Nature in all her beauty is revered. Where we have fallen back in love with the natural world, in all her divine splendour.”

She says: “It is my deepest desire that my work inspires this reverence — for we naturally take care of what we love.”

Fallen Cedar / Rising Dragon, oil on canvas, 12″ x 16″

Barbara lives in a cabin that she and her husband built in the forest on a mountainside in the wild West Kootenay region of the Canadian Rockies; in the Slocan Valley, near Nelson.

She explains, “This is a haven for free-thinkers and people who have chosen alternative lifestyles, tucked away in the remote southeast corner of British Columbia, Canada.”

Barbara in her studio.

When submitting her art to “The Healing Power of Art Inspired by Nature” exhibition Barbara wrote, “It’s Nature’s beauty that inspires me as an artist, as I come upon it every day in the forest as I walk there and let it have its way with me, opening my heart and healing my soul.”

It is worth noting that Barbara holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography and a Diploma of Fine Art.

Visit Barbara Brown’s Website: barbarabrownart.com 
 
Join Barbara Brown on Social Media
Facebook.com/BarbaraBrownArtist
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