Barbara Keith

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1946 . Began drawing at the ripe old age of four - according to my Mom (no walls were injured in the making of this artist), and continued on through four years of high school art, which only whetted my appetite. I then entered a commercial art school and did a year and a half there (they wanted me to become a fashion illustrator, but - at 19 - I thought I had better ideas). Other than that, I'm pretty much self-taught.

Began using graphite. pastels and charcoal while in high school. I've always worried about being pigeonholed, so I began playing with assorted medias. I've worked in colored pencil, pastel, watercolor, graphite, tempera, oil, oil pastel, pen and ink, scratchboard and magic marker along with recently acquired gouache. I will draw on anything that looks like it might give me an interesting effect or texture (sandpaper, felt, velvet, matboard, pastelboard for example).

The subject matter that most appeals to me are the predators of the animal world. The big cats are my MOST favorite!! I will do feather and fur but 'draw the line' at fins. Really can't get into fish.. but I have done some scaley critters (snakes, lizards, etc.). I have also done portraits, nudes, scenes, florals and some rather unusual still lifes. I don't claim that my art is anything other than what it is.. a - hopefully - decent representation of the subject matter. I'm not trying to tell you that my life is in my art.. my life IS my art. I feel the need to put some part of me down on that paper/canvas on a daily basis. And although the blank sheet can be terrifying, the end result always pushes me on to do more. At present, I have, in various stages of completion, a total of about 20 pieces. My most productive year so far has been 2006, with a total of 182 pieces completed.

For me, it's not the finished piece - although when I look at some of them, I am pleased - it's the journey to get there. The task of finding the right colors in the right ratio in the right place.. in the end, it's all worth it because when you look at my art.. my soul is looking back at you.

NOTE: For those of you who haven't heard, I was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2008.. had my surgery which gave me an infection (staph) and another surgery, then chemo for six months. In October I had the ostomy reversed and caught yet another infection.. this time no surgery but gettng that drain put in - might as well call it surgery!! I am still in the healing process and don't even want to think about the next hurdle (to close a hernia) until I have to. AND in March of 2010, the colonoscopy came back BORING.. I am cancer free!
UPDATE: Hernia was closed in May followed by yet ANOTHER infection (e-coli) which they tried different ways of fixing. Ended up, once again, in surgery. It is now July 2010 and I see the doctor soon.. we'll find out if this is just another chapter or if I can put an END to it all.
UPDATE: As of October 2010 - I don't have to see my surgeon any more. The Cancer Doctor is another story - I'll be seeing him for the rest of my life.
I am still in the healing process. The gifts from Chemo are: neuropathy in both hands and feet (still not able to drive), slightly wavey hair and a true appreciation for anyone going through this. On a lighter note.. I miss my belly-button!!!

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