Barbara Davison

Artist Statement

I grew up in Colorado, surrounded by mountains that taught me how to look closely and landscapes that taught me how to listen. Today, I paint on reclaimed materials because they echo that same sense of endurance. My work is a conversation between nature and memory — a way of honoring the places, animals, and moments that shape a life.
My art begins with what others leave behind. I find inspiration in the quiet places—the curve of weathered bark, the weight of stone, the grain of old wood, and the traces of life left behind. I choose reclaimed surfaces for their texture, their honesty, and their reminder that beauty often comes from what’s been weathered and I paint to honor that history. My work honors resilience— of the earth, living creatures, memory, and of the discarded materials themselves. By transforming what might otherwise be forgotten, I hope to reveal beauty in the weathered, the imperfect, and the quietly enduring.
Each piece is meant to feel like a story you’ve stepped into, and each surface guides the image that emerges. Cracks, knots, edges, stains, and textures become part of the composition rather than imperfections to hide. Through painting, drawing, pyrography and mixed media, I build intimate worlds of animals, landscapes, and quiet natural moments that invite the viewer to slow down and look more closely.