Festival of Sails Painting

BARBARA TYSON Fine Artist Born, Sydney Australia. A graduate student of the world-renowned East Sydney Art School, Barbara Tyson studied art specializing in life drawing, anatomy, mixed medium and watercolors before going on to graduate in Graphic Design. Barbara began work as an artist illustrator and her talents were quickly noticed and whilst still in her twenties was appointed Artistic Director for a stable of Australia's most prestigious magazines. Barbara travelled and painted throughout Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom and completed a multitude of watercolor works borrowing techniques and being influenced by a number of artists, but in particular Turner and Monet. In 1981 Barbara's newly inspired works won first prize at two art exhibitions in Whittlesea and her life as an artist began. Further studies with renowned water colorist Alvaro Castagnet gave her newfound freedom of expression and boldness. This led to studying the textures and depths of oils where she embraced portraiture and still life, emphasizing the play of light. Barbara continued her studies with many artists including creative painting with David Hill and portraiture with Archibald Prize winner, Reg Cambell at the Mitchell School of Creative Arts at Charles Sturt University. Capturing the essence of a person was one of her most satisfying achievements. Barbara says, "Seeing your subject emerge from the painting is amazing. A point arrives when touching the canvass is like touching their soul." When Barbara met Italian artist Roberto Coppa he had the most significant impact on her art. He took her skills to a new level. This embraced styles from the old masters, impressionism, realism, abstractionism and their associated techniques. Painting became a reflection of her own life experiences and Barbara no longer painted from her head but from her heart! Barbara has developed her own style, using varnishes to create a rich depth on the canvas - combining transparent colors with opaque, thick paint with thin, bold confident brush strokes with finely detailed realism, thick textures with smooth softness . . . all the contrasts that life brings to us . . . on the canvas. These techniques combine to expressing freedom, whether it be in communication, dress, lifestyle, emotions, work or relationships. Barbara loves movement, be it dancing music, sport, or the elements in landscapes. The common themes through all of her art are controlled freedom and movement.