Local artist profile: Judith Barowski

THIS week we chat with semi-abstract landscape painter Judith Barowski, whose style was inspired by “the vastness of sky and of the land” when she moved to the Mallee in 1970.

What motivated you to take up painting?

For me the motivation to paint came quietly over time from secondary school to becoming a primary school teacher.

Firstly, presenting my year 12 painting folio brought positive attention from others.

Continuing with art at Teacher’s College kept me involved and I started casually painting landscapes, a subject in which I could best express my love for colour.

In 1970 I was posted to Piangil, on the edge of the Mallee, and there I fell in love with the vastness of sky and of the land.

Then, in 1973, I went to Myrtleford and discovered the hills.

All along it was the landscape, and the challenge of presenting it in paint.

How would you describe your style?

My pictures are semi-abstract colourful landscapes and generally in a horizontal format.

I paint the background quickly to set a direction to take the painting.

I take time and paint the foreground details such as the “square trees” which repeat through my paintings and make my work recognisably mine.

This simplification does not interrupt the flow of the land but instead adds interest and character to it.

My choice of colours is largely intuitive, often far from realistic.

The colours create harmonies and contrasts which add vitality and movement to the work.

However, every now and then I paint in a completely different style.

Which other painters inspire you?

Inspirational artists were such as Fred Williams, Max Dimmack, Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Gauguin and Matisse.

They knew the beauty of colour.

Fred Williams “became invigorated with a greater level of expressiveness in both the range of colour and the handling of the paint” – in the early 70s we were contemporaries.

What are some highlights you have from your time as a painter so far?

My first highlight was my first exhibition, held on the riverboat, The Gem, which in 1974 was the Swan Hill Art Gallery.

The paintings were very much of the Mallee; it was very successful.

I fondly recognise that no matter what time of day I stand in front of my easel, no matter what the weather is like outside… I’m totally in the moment, totally relaxed and calm, totally present just there with the paint.

How can people check out your work online?

To date this has not happened because I’m not comfortable selling online.

A painting can look one way online but much different in reality.

On saying that, people can get a general idea online and then come to me and check out the work.

Gallery 247 is one way to view some works.

What are you working on right now?

Currently I’m revisiting paintings and looking at them with a “fresh eye”.

Often something catches my attention which I have overlooked previously and needs improving.

What would you say to young regional aspiring painters who are thinking of making a go of the creative life?

This is a very hard question to answer.

Have an outlet for your art, a place where the public has easy access.

Build your art around perfecting specific subject matter as well as continuing to experiment and have backup earnings as art is dispensable in hard times.

Whether one is successful seems very much hit or miss.

Best of luck is a meaningful phrase.