Barbara Barkley
Fine Art in Handmade Paper

Transforming paper from floating fibers, swept up and fixed in stillness, as ethereal as capturing that which transforms and uplifts us in our quest for higher understanding and deepening spirit.

About the Art

I gather long, strong fibered plants, which I cook in lye for several hours, hand beat and float in vats of water for my sheet forming. I also use traditional Western fibers in my paper. There is an alchemical feel to breaking down the flax, hemp, linen, cotton rag and sisal into fine fibers and  pigmenting them with natural earthen pigments and quality light fast pigments. Each fiber and color lends it’s own character to the final artwork. Additional textural material may be added to further enliven the surface texture and overall appearance. I  mix the various colored pulps and create subtle changes in the piece as I create layer upon layer, building  up my design. With the exception of added precious metals in some works, all color in my artwork comes from layering my colored fibers. My art sizes range from 16”x20” to 3’x5’. My work is shown in both festivals and galleries and has gone to over twenty countries around the world.

About the Artist

I have been making paper for over 20 years and use both Western and Eastern traditional styles of papermaking for my artwork. I was originally taught by Japanese papermakers in the ancient process of making paper from plants. I graduated the University of Hawaii with a BFA in Sculpture and a BA in Art History. My post graduate work in Transpersonal Psychology and Religion combined with my art history background, strongly influence my art today. I have taught Papermaking at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. My work is featured in 100 Artists of the Southwest, ed. D. Bullis, 2006.