BOOKS by Barbara McLain:
"Go Figure: Conversations From the Wall", 2020
"In the Stillness of the Woods", 2018
"Into the Woods", hand-made limited edition, 2016 (sold out)
"On the Way to the Wedding", 2014
"Tibetan Buddhist Thangkas", 2013
"Wind, Fire, and Ice: Monotype Paintings by Barbara McLain", 2012
"Unmasked: Portraits of the Wounded Soul", 2012
Books can be ordered through the publisher: www.blurb.com, or by contacting the artist directly
In 2019 there began an exploration of the figure in the context of abstraction. A complete fascination and immersion into the process led to the discovery of multiple "sets" of the same image in "conversation" with each other. This catalogue includes 23 of these paintings, which became the focus of a solo museum show
The monotype paintings in this collection, completed from 1999-2004, are made with water based paint on paper, and pastels used as an overlay to enhance the otherwise abstracted form. The artist "dreams into the abstract image" until a form appears. The image is enhanced with pastel to further suggest whatever the mind is seeing.
collection reflect my early efforts, primarily 1992-1999, to reveal the soul wounds we have within us in order to heal them. Wounds kept hidden, from ourselves and others, fester and cause systemic problems in ourselves, in our relationships, and in our culture. These paintings were completed using a modified German expressionist approach which allowed for color and exaggerated gesture to convey the relevant emotion.
This collection from 1998 to 2014 includes three distinct portfolios related to the wedding: Pyramid Series, Dialogue Drawings, and Beneath the Veil. The Pyramid Series is a collection made prior to meeting the beloved, depicting the inner male and female energy as it learns to relate as a whole. The Dialogue Drawings are a series of works on paper completed collaboratively by the artist and the beloved as part of our courtship. Beneath the Veil consists of paintings inspired by actual weddings of the artist, family, and friends.
ct the meditative aspects of still life as well as the emotional undercurrents of landscape painting. Hiking and meditating in the woods has brought to my awareness the energetic presence of the forest, so full of pulsating life and death.
This collection of thangka paintings was completed between 2003 and 2013 while studying the technique with Ang Sherpa Tsherin, a master Tibetan painter. The book was produced primarily for practitioners of Tibetan buddhism who use the images to support their practice. Each image in the book includes an explanation of the deity and all the symbols used in the painting.