Barbara Rush Contemporary Fine Art

Artist Bio
I have been an artist all my life in one form or another. But, in 2005 it really consumed
me. I was perusing art at the High Museum and had the opportunity to view a few cubist
paintings up close. I was fascinated by their use of line and form. Since I have been
drawing and riding horses since childhood it was a natural subject matter for me to
explore new territory with, so I began playing with geometric shapes within the body
of the horse.

In November 2006, I completed three giant red paintings, these were the first in the
series entitled, “The Tao of Equus,” which translates to The Way of the Horse.
Learn more...

Art Resume
I have been in a variety of galleries and shows throughout my life.
If you would like to see what I have been doing since 2000 Click here...

Artist Statement
My paintings were inspired by cubism and colorists such as Chagall. Learn more...

Education
Kempsville High School
Va. Beach, Virginia

Bachelor of Fine Arts
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Master of Arts, Summa Cum Laude
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Artist Bio continued...

Many people describe my work as having a modern cubist or geometric style. I typically find an image of a horse that “speaks” to me. Then I draw it…maybe enhancing some direction or flow of its movement. I look at how the horse’s muscles are moving and the pace it is going and see how I can deconstruct the body into shapes that are relevant to its motion. After I have the drawing down, I will work on the color combination on paper until I find one that resonates with me. I then begin the painting process, layering in the background and tweaking lines as I go. Many people think that I mask off the hard edges in my paintings in order to get the lines straight. In reality the lines are all just as straight as my hand allows. I believe that it helps that I once worked as a sign painter who did hand lettering before vinyl became all the rage.

You might say that I have had a bit of a long and winding road to finding my career as an artist. I grew up drawing and painting and even went so far as to paint a mural in my bedroom as a teenager, which my mom hasn’t yet painted over. My parents were supportive of developing my talent and so I took drawing lessons after school from Wilbur Chadwick. My High School art teacher, Robin Clair Parton, was awesome. She helped guide me as the art editor of our high school magazine “Montage”.

I always won ribbons in art shows but I didn’t really know what to do with my talent. I bounced around in a variety of art-related jobs, hand painting signs, and designing t-shirts for screen printers, before discovering graphic design via a bingo paper. I received my BFA from Old Dominion University (1989) then decided to take it to the next level and applied to graduate school at Syracuse University for their advertising program. I went in to the master’s program on probation because my grades really weren’t good enough to get into the program. I then graduated with honors (summa cum laude 1994) and soon found a job at Lehigh Safety Shoes in Endicott, NY as their Advertising Manager.

After four years of living in a small town and suffering through whiteouts, blizzards, horse back riding lessons in icy arenas, and a nasty corporate takeover of Lehigh – I decided that I would be better off in a large city with a large variety of businesses, rolling hills, green grass, trees, with a low risk of natural disasters, a strong art community and a multitude of single people in my age bracket. I found Atlanta in Places Rated Almanac and moved in 1998.

Upon my arrival in Atlanta, I worked for Circuit City for the first 10 months selling computers. Aquent then found me a job as an art director for Ben Meadows where I worked for about a year before finding a higher paying job on Monster.com as a Creative Services Manager.

I worked for NDCHealth for four years under a variety of VP’s of marketing (as the company tried to find direction for its product line) I was eventually laid off (along with 70 other people) and the company was sold about a year later.

My severance pay allowed me to start my own photography, fine art, and graphic design company. I maintained it fulltime for about a year while taking two half days a week to take dressage lessons. I was only able to paint sporadically and decided that if I wanted to take my art to the next level I would need a more regular schedule. I looked again on Monster.com and found a wonderful position as a Marketing Communications Associate (a corporate title for Art Director or Creative Services Manager) I applied and have been happily working there for just over two years. I love going home at 5 o’clock and not having to think about anything except for my art.

I am now very fortunate to be part of Two Doors Art: Studio & Gallery, in Historic Roswell, as that area is becoming an art destination spot, just north of Atlanta. Most of us refer to Historic Roswell as the Art District as it has about 10 or 15 art galleries within a two mile radius. You can stop by Two Doors Art: Studio & Gallery any Saturday from 11 am to 4:30 pm, or Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm, to see my work. Two Doors Art on Webb Street is also part of Alive After 5, in Historic Roswell…so come hang out with the artists every third Thursday of the month through October!

Art Resume:

2008
Gallery Representation
- Two Doors Art: Studio & Gallery, Historic Roswell
(open to the public every Saturday 11:30 am to 4:30 pm)
Group Shows
- Alpharetta Streetfest Art Festival Winner: Spirit of the Show Award!
- "A Horse of A Different Color" Art Show Opening at Two Doors Art Studio and Gallery
- GDCTA Awards Gala, Equestrian Event
- Charish the Future Gala, Furniture Bank of Atlanta
- Alive After Five Gallery Crawl with Live music third Thursday of every month through October

2007
Gallery Representation
- Art Space International, Atlanta, GA
Solo Shows
- "A Horse of A Different Color" Art Show Opening at Pan Asia Bistro and Once & Again Books
Group Shows
- Alpharetta Art Streetfest, Alpharetta, GA

2006
Gallery Representation
- Art Space International, Atlanta, GA
- Syncronicity, Roswell, GA
- Oh My Goddard Gallery, Perimeter Mall, Dunwoody, GA
- Unity North Church, Marietta, GA

2005
Gallery Representation
- Li Brothers Studio Gallery, Northpoint Mall, Alpharetta, GA
- Unity North Church, Marietta, GA
Group Shows
- Roswell Art on the Square, RPS Booth, Roswell, GA

2004
Gallery Representation
- Li Brothers Studio Gallery, Northpoint Mall, Alpharetta, GA
- Atlanta Artist Center, Atlanta, GA
Group Shows
- Black Tie Cafe, Dunwoody, GA
- Unity North Church, Marietta, GA

2003
Gallery Representation
- Atlanta Artist Center, Atlanta, GA

2002
Gallery Representation
- Raiford Gallery, Roswell, GA
- Unity North Church, Marietta, GA
Group Shows
- Raiford Gallery Open Air Show, Roswell, GA

2001
Gallery Representation
- Raiford Gallery, Roswell, GA
- Unity North Church, Marietta, GA
Group Shows
- Raiford Gallery Open Air Show, Roswell, GA
- Roswell Photographic Society Show, Roswell, GA
- Roswell Art on the Square, Roswell, GA

2000
Gallery Representation
- Raiford Gallery, Roswell, GA

Additional:
• Adjunct Professor, Atlanta Art Institute, 2002
• Semifinalist, Syracuse University Woman’s Athletics
Logo Design Contest, Syracuse University, 1995
• Honorable Mention, AEJMC logo Design contest, 1995
• Judge for the Empire State School Press Association
Art and Literary Magazine Design Contest, 1995
• Graduate Assistantship Award, Syracuse University, 1995

Artist Statement

Paintings

The Tao of Equus Series was inspired by my love of horses and several cubist paintings and drawings on display in the High Museum back in 2005. Struck by the essense of the cubists' accomplishment of capturing movement on paper, I was compelled to see what the structure of the horse would look like as it shifted with each position of its body. I immediately began drawing restructured horses and playing with complementary curves and angles within the form of the horse. I played with the muscle movement in relationship to the speed of the gait and based my grid on the combination.

In November of 2006, I completed three giant red paintings, these were the first in the series entitled, "The Tao of Equus" which translates to the Way of the Horse. In creating this series I typically find an image of a horse that "speaks" to me. I then draw it taking care to enhance the lines of its body or the flow of its movement. I look at how the horse's muscles are moving at the pace it is traveling and see how I can deconstruct its body into more simplified shapes that connect and converge recreating the essence of the horse's movement. After I have the drawing together I will play with color combinations on paper until I find something that resonates. I then begin the actual painting usually allowing myself complete freedom in the background and then painting my horse in very tight geometric shapes in the foreground. I do not mask off the lines they are all just as straight as my steady hand allows. I believe that it helps that I once worked as a sign painter who did hand lettering, before vinyl lettering became the standard.

Many people have described my work as a having a modern or light cubist style, or, as being geometric. The crisp use of geometric shapes combined with bold colors fill these paintings with energy. As you examine my paintings keep your eyes open for interesting interlocking shapes with illusional dynamics.

Glassware Photograms

I have been experimenting with photograms since 1989 when I was introduced to the basic photogram technique by one of my college professors. Originally created by ManRay, in the 1920's, this technique was developed outside of the darkroom using sunlight and photo paper. Objects were placed on the paper, exposed to light, then the paper was developed and showed basically the outline of the object that had been placed on the paper.

The Electric Colors Series takes photograms to the next level and is a technique that I developed using transparent objects, multiple filters and dodging techniques in the black and white darkroom. Once I have my level one images on paper, I then take them into the digital darkroom and colorize them to accentuate the light as it is refracting and reflecting out of the objects.