Barbara Barnhart

I prefer to travel the back roads. There is a peace connected to the vast sky and ever-expanding land. The journey is always uncertain. The road points the way; black and white reveals the truth.

In a precarious world, nests provide a promise of safety.

       I have been drawing crows almost exclusively for more than 14 years. I find myself stopping to watch a gathering of crows, listening for distinct voices, observing individuals, and following their flights. In order to highlight the natural grace of these birds, each drawing is a synthesis of the inherent beauty of the crow and an exploration of movement, stillness and place. In mythology, the crow comes to earth as a messenger. The expressive possibilities of drawing as a medium become the translation of the message. The immediacy of drawing allows for finding the form; black and white tells the truth. 

Leonardo’s Rule or the Rule of Trees in mathematics says that the surface area of the two daughter branches add up to the surface area of the mother branch.

I have lived near a certain tree for over 35 years. She has endured wicked winds, provided seating for endless gatherings of birds, fed the crows and has held many climbing boys.
She has grown old. She still dances. She still lifts up her four daughters.
I make these drawings to mark her life and mine.