About the Artist

Carol Barber

Beginning her professional career in 1992, Carol Barber has continued to work in the visual arts through many different capacities. Such roles have included commercial illustrator, graphic designer, art teacher, floral designer, muralist, gallery associate and exhibiting artist. She began exhibiting her fine art in accredited galleries in 2000. Barber’s solo exhibit, A Year in Gestures was held at the Welcome Gallery, presented by New City Arts of Charlottesville, VA in 2020. Her work appears in collections across the United States and is featured on Chestnut Oak Vineyard wine labels and Kris Monson album covers.
She received her B. F. A.  from James Madison University and a M. F. A. from Radford University. Carol’s studio is located in a quiet spot in Barboursville, VA surrounded by land in a conservation easement.

Statement

I began my professional career creating digital illustrations and graphic design for the textbook industry. I strived to make my digital art as natural appearing as possible by incorporating transparent layers of photographed texture and scanned drawings into the digital applications. After working as a digital illustrator, I returned to graduate school. In my studies I wanted to move my digital art into a physical form and incorporate processes of mark-making by hand. At the university, I began printing my digital art on layers of transparent film and painting oil paintings on canvas.

Layering Evolution

Upon transitioning to a home studio, my work evolved into using acrylic paint because of its faster drying times. The nature of the acrylic paint and different Golden brand gel mediums opened up many new layering possibilities. As I continue to use paint as a medium, the digital art that I did early in my career still influences me. This manifests through experimentations with materials and layering of paint. My latest work involves painting directly on transparent substrates and suspending acrylic paint on top of clear acrylic gel. These methods present unique layering techniques all my own.

Faces

Countering my process driven paintings is simple drawings of faces which is a subject that I return to again and again. Mostly from my imagination and sometimes sketchbook inspired. These are fun and the ending portraits usually surprise me!

Exhibitions

2023 Staff Show, group exhibition at The Pink Gallery, Quirk Hotel, Charlottesville, VA

2022 Teeny Tiny Trifecta 5, group exhibition at The Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA

2020 A Year in Gestures: Paintings by Carol Barber, a solo show presented by New City Arts at the Welcome Gallery, Charlottesville, VA

2019 P!NK, a group show at McGuffey Art Center, Charlottesville, VA

2018
Teeny Tiny Trifecta, group exhibition and solo exhibit in the backroom at The Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
Arts Exchange Group Show at New City Arts’ Welcome Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
Solo display at Random Row Brewing Company, Charlottesville, VA
Show with Mary Jane Zander at Annie Gould Gallery, Gordonsville, VA

2016 Solo display at the Augusta Health Medical Center, Fishersville, VA

2015 Solo display at the office gallery of Piedmont Council for the Arts in Charlottesville, VA

2014 Solo display at the Writer’s House in Charlottesville, VA.

2013 Floral Expressions exhibition as featured artist at DéCOR, Design Center of Richmond, VA

2012 Spirit and Soul exhibition of paintings with Eddie Thiel at the Arts Center in Orange in Orange, VA

2010 Shaped By Time exhibition of paintings with Ande Lister at the Melrose Bay Art Gallery in Melrose, FL

2009 Reflections: Beyond Time and Space exhibition with glass artists Sarah Hinds and Sky Campbell at the Thomas Center Main Gallery in Gainesville, FL

2007 Painted Dreams solo exhibition at the Santa Fe Gallery in Gainesville, FL

Selected Publish Works

2019 – 2020 Chestnut Oak Vineyard, art for five wine labels

2015 Chestnut Oak Vineyard, whimsical 30’ x 40’ mural

2012 Empowerment, 64 interior illustrations, book by Marcus Chacos published in Australia

2005 RU, the magazine of Radford University: an interior illustration for the article, Wireless

2004 Bicast Publishing, Inc.’s Dolphin Watch Books: Naya and the Haunted Shipwreck

2002 Bicast Publishing, Inc.’s Dolphin Watch Books: Naya and Nathan

Awards

2021 Three pieces accepted in the 2021 Academy Center of the Arts Annual National Juried Art Exhibition, Joe Krakora, juror

2019 – 2020 Top ten finalist in the Charlottesville, VA City Bus competition.

2016 Artist in New Watercolor: Annual Juried Contemporary Exhibit, Shenandoah Valley Art Center, John A. Hancock, curator and juror

2015 Award of Excellence, Central Virginia Watercolor Guild Annual Exhibition, Julia May, juror

2014 Honorable Mention in the South-Atlantic Juried Exhibition, The Montpelier Center for Arts &
Education

2012 Second Place in Quick Draw competition to benefit the charity, S.A.F.E., at Prince Michelle Winery

2010 Accepted into the Thomas Center Galleries Regional Juried Exhibition, juror: David Fithian

2009 Accepted into the Thomas Center Galleries Regional Juried Exhibition, juror: Michael Burban

2009 GFAA Florida Open Juried Exhibit, Honorable Mention Ribbon, juror: Jeffrey Smart Baisden

2008 First Place in the Garden Category of the Melrose Paint the Town Green 

2007 Acceptance in the International Society of Acrylic Painters, 10th Annual Exhibition, San Luis Obispo Art Center, CA, juror: Bob Burridge.

2007 Award of Merit at the Oak Hall Art Festival

2006 Gold Addy for an interior magazine illustration from the Advertising Federation of the Roanoke Valley (AFRV)

2005 Award of Honor at the Art at the Oaks Show, FL

2003 Best of Show Award for the Gainesville Fine Art Association Members’ Winter Show

2003 Edith Moore Portrait Award for the Gainesville Fine Art Association Members’ Winter Show

2000 Silver Addy for entertainment advertising from the Advertising Federation of the Roanoke Valley (AFRV)

1999
Award of Excellence for the RU Art Museum’s Student Juried Exhibition
Gold Citation for illustration from the AFRV
Silver Citation for electronic/digital media from the AFRV

1992 JMU Art Achievement Award

Teaching Experience

2012 – 2020 The Arts Center in Orange – Art class and workshop teacher 

2015 Community Outreach with the Arts Center in Orange, Orange, VA

2016 – 2017 Outreach teacher for Second Street Gallery

2014 – 2015 Locust Grove Elementary School in Locust Grove, VA – Long term art substitute

2012 – 2013 MADArts in Madison, VA

2009 – 2011 Art specialty teacher at Open Arms Child Development Center.

2007 – 2009 Adjunct professor at Santa Fe College’s graphic design department

Education

M.F.A. — Radford University, Radford, VA 

B.F.A. — James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA