Artist Barbara Breimhurst Jones lives with her husband in White Haven, Pennsylvania. Her studio in the Poconos offers her daily inspiration for plein air painting; a particular joy as fusing natural light and color has been a theme throughout her life. As of late, Barbara has found her expression through the use of pastels. Her expressionistic work embraces a strong sense of design with a nod to impressionism. She draws viewers in with a mix of bold and delicate mark making.
Her playfulness with blending light and color began at a young age when, toying with her crayons, she discovered she could create new hues. This revelation sparked a curiosity in the young artist. Having little to no formal art education, Barbara set out on her own to independently hone her skills. She made art out of anything she could-- copying cartoon characters and photographs to creating stage masks. At age 13, she won her first art award. This, and a gold medal in art upon graduation, were feathers in her cap for what would become a lifelong practice.
Wilkes Barre, PA · Spring 2018
Barbara began her formal art education at the Philadelphia College of Art, now the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She attended for two years; married, raised children, worked, and continued taking classes and practicing her art. She has completed a range of courses at Cheltenham Art Center, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Bucks Co. Community College, Hazleton Art league, Wayne Art Center, and Norristown Art League. During this time, Barbara developed her own mural painting business and volunteered to create backdrops for a local dance company. She has completed several commissioned paintings and drawings.
Her work has been exhibited in local juried art shows including Audubon Center, Audubon,Pa.; Meadowood Senior Living, Worcester,Pa.; Hazleton Art League, Hazleton,Pa.; Perkiomen Valley Art Center, Harleysville,Pa.; Wayne Art Center, Wayne,Pa. and Wyoming Valley Art League, Wilkes-Barre,Pa. She has been awarded Honorable Mention, Drawing; First Place in Non Professional category, painting; First Place, Drawing (Pastel); Best in Show, Painting.
In harmony with her pastel paintings, Barbara has produced many oil paintings ranging in style from realistic to expressionistic. Her subject range varies to include figurative, landscape, and visual compositions bordering on abstract. Her paintings exemplify her love of color and design. She is dedicated to her artistic pursuits and embracing future challenges.
Barbara treasures her high endorsement received from her instructor and mentor, Master Pastelist, PSA Teresa DeSeve whom has encouraged her to begin teaching others. “ I am honored to have you as a student - you are enormously talented “ Following her passion to create has become an anchor in Barbara’s life-- no matter the turbulence of life, her art has remained a path to exploration, expression, and inner peace.
