Today we’d like to introduce you to Annette Barbieri.
Hi Annette, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Central Florida and have always loved art. It was my favorite subject in school. While in elementary school, I won a coloring contest for my hometown of DeLand. I was so excited you would have thought I had won an Oscar! My dad was very artistic and encouraged me to sketch a little each day. To this day, I still use some of his art supplies in my work, which grounds and inspires me.
When it was time to go off to college, though, I felt like art wasn’t “enough” to build a career around and I graduated with a degree in Psychology. Many years passed where I only dabbled in painting, pursuing a “real career” in counseling at-risk students. This left me feeling creatively unfulfilled. I decided to return to college to study Interior Design and also started painting more seriously. The enthusiastic reactions my paintings received were the proof I needed to follow my heart with my art career. I’m honored that my paintings have found their way to into the homes of so many collectors and public installations.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say it has been a smooth road, but more of a steady climb. Like the little engine that could. I have always worked outside of painting. When I first started, I worked a full-time job and painted on weekends. Then when my son was born, I was a full-time stay-at-home mom. I’ll admit, finding time to paint when he was little was tough. Then I started working at an interior design firm part-time. This has been the perfect balance schedule-wise. I’m able to work at a job that inspires me creatively and allows me to meet people who value original art in their homes. This carries over to my studio time, which is precious to me. As so many women artists know, the balance of family and an art career can be hard, but you just have to make painting a priority and show up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a naturally curious person, so I often explore new techniques and mediums. I love when unexpected things happen when I paint. There have been times when I have spilled paint or made a mistake and it ends up being my favorite part of a piece! You’ll see my style switches back and forth from non-objective to abstract landscapes. It seems that when life is crazy and busy, I crave order, which is when I paint landscapes. When I’m a bit more relaxed and free, I paint abstractly.
Often you will see the color blue appear in my paintings, whether it’s shades of pale aqua, teal or prussian blue. I suppose that comes from living so close to the Atlantic. That ocean is undeniably part of my soul. Also, I love to layer in lots of different mediums, whether it’s pastels, graphite, hand-made collage papers or thick crackle texture.
The painting I’m most proud of is a commission I did for a commercial space in downtown Orlando. It was the largest painting I have done to date. So large in fact, I had to have the cradled panels custom made and painted them in my garage as they wouldn’t fit inside! I had to figure out new tools to paint large with and mix up big batches of paint. It challenged my mind and body and I’m so proud of how it turned out.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
There are times when opportunities seem to just appear. But when I really reflect upon it, it’s usually because someone has been following me on social media or has seen my work somewhere that these opportunities arise. When you continuously work to connect with people, whether it’s in person or digitally, your business grows because people get to know you. They’re not just buying a painting, but a small part of you, the artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.annettebarbieri.com
- Instagram: annette_barbieri
