Barbara Schmidt

When  I draw or paint I am interested in my work coming alive to me.  I most like to draw with various media - graphite, pen and ink, pastel or oil pastel, although I occasionally dabble in watercolor.  When I am  creating I like to fall into a conversation with my art.  I am interested in making what I call narrative art -- something that is representative of nature or is recognizable as real objects.  I want the viewer to  understand what I have created, without having it to be interpreted by anyone else.  I am interested in the inner beauty of nature and people and everyday objects .  I also strive to be a good craftsman - to make my art as technically good as I can without sacrificing feeling or emotion.  I believe that there is perfect freedom in discipline.

A wise teacher once told me that are only two kinds of Art -- Good Art and Bad Art.  I strive to make good art.  I have a certificate in Botanical Drawing from the Chicago Botanic Garden, but have also taken classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago,  Northwestern University,  the Evanston Art Center,  and  The Art Center of Highland Park.  I am a retired attorney which adds a left brain dimension to my art.