Bev Barnett
Mixed Media, Paper
Recalling the stillness and quiet majesty of a forest, this piece invites mindful observation and contemplative reflection. Recycled paper pulp cast onto suspended strings recall the upright elegance of the trees. Beneath them, rust prints in delicate fiber trace subtle, organic pathways across the forest floor. 18 X 24.
Throughout the phases of our lives, we reassess our satisfaction with our work, our relationships, our purpose and our very idea of what success means. And we redefine our paths accordingly.
This piece has also been redefined. Originally, a single sheet of handmade paper from tulip stems stood as the background to twigs, twined together and stitched onto the paper. In its new iteration, I've collaged additional handmade paper made from various plant fibers including Mullein, Day Lillie, and a large, vertical path made from Poke Weed.
Mounted on cradled board and ready to hang. 14 X 11
Pathways handmade paper blocks. Plant-fiber paper, recycling and silk pulp on 4X4 wood blocks, sold separately or in pre-configured groupings. Commissions accepted, using the plant fiber from my garden, or yours!
Every day brings so many choices. Sometimes we just have to choose the most direct path, and sometimes its okay to explore the side streets. Handmade paper including upcycled fabric scraps, wire. The 6 X 6 artworks in my Inspirations series are ready to hang unframed.
Studio
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
About Bev Barnett
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What to Expect at my Open Studio
You'll visit me in my covered outdoor workspace where I forage and process plant fiber for hand-made paper and weaving, coax color from dye plants and teach workshops for curious artistic adventurers.
- Hands-on papermaking demos at noon Weekend One: Saturday and Sunday September 19 and 20
- Learn about my papermaking and botanical printing workshops
- Shop gifts including hand-made paper cards, handmade botanical paper earrings, silk coiled baskets and eco-printed scarves.
- See works in progress and purchase my handmade paper and fiber artwork at studio discount prices.
Artist's Statement
My artistic voice has traveled a twisted road to arrive at this moment: I’m a fiber artist with an insatiable curiosity that drives my work in handmade paper, pulp casting and weaving.
My mother taught me the magic of turning pulp into paper, and the satisfaction of breaking with tradition. I’ve wandered through clay, fiber, natural dyes, and structural basketry, while my parallel path as a singer-songwriter has always informed the rhythm and poetry of my work.
The wall sculpture and hand-made paper collage art I create is a conversation between these disciplines. I begin by developing base materials using plant fiber, paper pulp, natural dyes, found objects, upcycled silk and other fibers. I create with what I’ve formed, found and foraged, allowing the materials to guide me.
Mine is a process of patient discovery. Like the meaningful relationships I nurture in my life, I choose elements and materials that I want to spend time with - and learn from. I invite them to reflect my thoughts, I encourage them to guide the composition and I excitedly anticipate their revelation of meaningful narratives centering on resilience, joy and becoming.
By using natural, upcycled and unexpected materials, I hope to encourage viewers to rethink their assumptions and expectations. Each piece is reborn into a quiet, textured meditation that sparks wonder, invites contemplation and reveals the transformative strength found in stillness.
Services Offered
Takes Commissions, Teaches Classes