Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 33 LET'S START WITH "NOW." WHAT ARE YOU EXPLORING IN YOUR ART THESE DAYS? I've been playing for the last few years with adding encaustic to some of my small gouache paintings, and this summer I'm working on some very tiny delicate paint- ings, almost like illuminations, on vellum, featuring Montana wildlife and flowers. I just started to have some of my designs made as a greeting cards, and I have a children's book in mind. NAIF, AS YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK, IS ART THAT IS FREE OF CONVENTION AND HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS PAINTING WITH YOUR SOUL, NOT YOUR BRAIN. ROUSSEAU COMES TO MIND. TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS APPROACH, AND WHY YOU HAVE CHOSEN IT AS A MEANS OF EXPRESSION. e simplicity, playfulness, and clarity of Naïf art have always attracted me, and I started working with gouache because I like the flat, velvety look of the surface. I connected to other naif artists from around the world a few years ago, and it has been very inspiring to see work in this style from other countries, and to be included in some shows in Europe last year. e genre has its roots in folk art, which I love, and while there are many deserv- edly famous naïf artists (Rousseau, Grandma Moses, Mattie Lou O'Kelly to name a few), it remains a style that is understandable and accessible to everyone. ONE DISTINCTIVE ELEMENT OF YOUR WORK IS YOUR CHOICE OF BRIGHT COLORS. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DRAWN TO THEM? Color has always been a visceral source inspiration for me. I like strong bright colors that clash and enhance each other. It's very ingrained and intui- tive in me. YOUR PARENTS WERE BOTH ARTISTS OF A SORT. WHAT WAS THEIR LASTING INFLUENCE? I grew up in a family where we made things all the time. My father was a painter, calligrapher, and printmaker, and a wonderful teacher. He always encouraged me to learn how to use BARBARA MORRISON graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Mexico and received her Teacher Certification from Rocky Mountain College, Billings. She is married with four children. She started with textile art—em- broidery that included hand-sculpted clay pieces, then moved onto doll making. Her dolls were featured in Contemporary Doll Magazine for a se- ries of fantasy dolls based on commedia dell'arte figures as well as an article about her Day of the Dead figures. All along she painted in gouache (opaque watercolor). Her work is published in two books on Polymer Clay Designs. In 2015, TOSCA Magazine named her Montana Artist of the Year. Her gallery affiliations include the Toucan Gallery in Billings and the Montana Gallery 709 in Missoula. She has shown around the country, plus Belgium. Imaginary Beasts Handsome Devil Cats

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