Barbara Brown

As I follow my interests in the garden and working with natural materials I find my ideas are changing and evolving. My working methods have always been direct but now they are becoming even more simplified and ephemeral. Working with natural materials in an outdoor setting brings awareness of the slightest breeze and of the subtleties of natural lighting, it brings my attention into the moment in a very immediate way. Conceptually I am working with the circle form and relating the dynamics of the whole to the parts. I am learning about the geometry of the circle and how natural forms are created in intricate geometric patterns, I use the structures of those patterns to create new interpretations and forms. The documentation of those moments and the resulting photographs are what I am currently working to develop.

What speaks to me as an artist is to be involved on a daily basis with the natural world. There is a gentle reassurance in the goodness of life as seen in a simple leaf or an ordinary flower.

My practice has moved beyond the studio and into a collaborative mode with the community. In my studio you will see documentation of the various workshops I have facilitated in the past few years. The circle of my interests and experiences is beginning to close as I embrace the many aspect of creativity that I am involved in. My work at the Perley and Rideau Veterans Health Centre as a Horticultural Therapist has had a direct bearing on my creative output and my desire and ability to work with others in the creative process for health and well-being.