Old Tuscany, Barbara Beier's favorite subject, comes alive in her work. "I obviously romance the past in my paintings." Her art reflects ordinary people doing ordinary things - the fishermen with their catch, village market stalls or shocks of grain in a farmer's field. These large-scale scenes have become a trademark. "My work is realistic, but stylized. I want to create the ambiance of the era." As an artist, Barbara enjoys hearing people say they feel they can "walk into my paintings."
   "I paint large! My style is often bold and very free. Sometimes even I don't know where my art is going! I inhale the scenes and exhale the art." Coupled with her desire to recall scenes of the past, is Barb's desire to create moveable art - a mural painted in sections that can be refitted or recombined to suit a new setting in our mobile society. Beier's formal art education began at age eight as a student at the Notre Dame Motherhouse in Milwaukee. "The nuns who were teaching me were, themselves, artists of distinction." In high school Barbara won scholarships to the Milwaukee Art Institute and Journal/Sentinel calendar competition awards. She minored in art and majored in music at college. Beier enjoyed a career in the Church as Director of Music and Liturgy. There her artistic abilities led to a three mural commission for a parish anniversary in 2004.
   Barbara was invited to do music ministry in Israel in 1994, 1995 and 1996. These trips offered her the opportunity to absorb the life and landscapes, resulting in The Via Dolorosa mural. A visit to Cornwall, England, provided images for the ancient towns and villages populated with people of Barb's imagination. Touring Ireland, Scotland and Wales offered more opportunities to enrich her visual storehouse.
   Ms. Beier has exhibited art at the James Store Gallery in Waukesha, Studio Six in Cedarburg and other area galleries and juried shows in Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. Currently her work can be seen at Landmark Gallery in Milwaukee, the Market in Watertown and her home studio.
   This year, Barbara's work was presented in two showings; In June with Artist Jim Meisner of Color Ink and at a solo exhibit that was endorsed by Landmark gallery
   Currently Barbara has 21 originals in print. Originals and limited edition giclée prints are available by contacting Barbara.