Candy Barr is a plein air, "in open air",  painter whose visual work includes oil paintings on canvas and wood. Her work has been described as “moving" and as being "a true master of color".   With over 50 years of painting experience she brings a breadth of knowledge of art history, exquisite skill for color and a deep understanding of what makes paint come to life.  

Born in Oberlin, Ohio, Barr has art work from when when was six years old, and hasn't stopped.  She earned her BFA with honors in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), her MAT in lithography from RISD, and an MFA in Visual Arts from Vermont College.   She has served on the Faculty of Goddard College, and has taught numerous workshops and courses since 1985.  

Since 1998 Barr has devoted herself to painting full-time, and actively participates in painting and community building programs.   She believes learning is a never ending process and continues her own development through research, travel, and regular visits to artists' studios, galleries and museums. 

Barr is a juried member of the Vermont Arts Council and has received awards from them as well, having given residencies to schools or organizations for over 20 years. She won the "Best Architecture Award" at  the Glendale, AZ Plein Air Competition. She was nominated as "Vermont's Best Artist" in the Vanguard Readers Poll two years in row. The Johnson Studio Center awarded her grants for several years to attend residencies.  She is a juried member of www.DailyPainters.com, a member of the California Art Club (CAC) and was on the Rhode Island School of Design Alumni Association Board of Directors.

 Her work has been exhibited widely – most recently at the Watergate Gallery in Washington, D.C.;  the Casa de Artistas Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ, the Parade Gallery in Warren, VT, the Artisans Gallery in Waitsfield, VT;  formerly in the Eastland Gallery in Portland, ME, O'Farrell Gallery in Brunswick, ME, and Vermont Fine Art in Stowe, VT – and is included in hundreds of personal collections all over the world.

Artist Statement

My paintings are fresh in color, light in tone, and reflect an immediate response to the subjects being painted with a sense of harmony.  I paint quickly and in response to my environment as it constantly changes.  Through this experience working in plein air or from models, my understanding of the unique aspects of the direction of light, atmosphere, and color is perpetually developing. 

I prefer the time of day when colors are strongest - early and late in the day or when overcast and drizzly. I paint in an array of locations with a broad spectrum of rivers, fields, woods, and of course the mountains.  As an active and prolific painter, my daily work serves as a ritual through which my sense of place is ensured. 

Making paintings brings me great pleasure while the unsettled world today contributes to my desire to seek comfort in nature.  I am most comfortable while intensely observing my environment and during the mindful processes of painting it.  

Education

1994          MFA, Visual Arts,  Norwich University, VT
1980          New York Experimental Glass Workshop, Neon, NYC
1975          MAT,  Lithography, Rhode Island School of Design
1974          BFA,  Honors Painting, Rhode Island School of Design 
1969-71     U. of Denver, Art & Philosophy
1969          Emma Willard School

Memberships & Affiliations

Rhode Island School of Design (R.I.S.D.),  Alumni Association Board

Vermont Arts Council, juried artist

California Art Club, member

Laguna Plein Air, member

Scottsdale Artists League, member

ARTT (Art Through Teaching Technology), mentor

PAPME Plein Air Painters of Maine