About The Artist
About the Artist
Barbara Lewin's faith has always been at the cornerstone of her artwork. It's what guides her as she chooses to portray the spectacular landscapes created by God.
Her painting is a reflection of her inner spirit- in continues to learn, to love, and to find peace in the simplest things around her. Her work centers around natural wonder: the spectacular sunset, the majestic mountains, the endless and soothing sea, the stark beauty of fresh snow, and the fascinating cascade of waterfalls. The texture of her palette paintings enables the viewer "to feel" what she sees, and almost hear the whisper of the soft wind as it sways the thick pine trees, ripples the running water, and touches the flowers in the fields.
Barbara received an Associates Degree in Advertising Art & Design from the State University at Farmingdale, NY. In the 1990's, she attended Continuing Education courses and studied palette painting for two years. It was then that she discovered a creative outlook to uniquely express the love she felt for the world around her.
She honed her skills as an acrylic painter while battling Myofascial Pain Syndrome(MPS), a chronic medical condition that affected muscles and nerves, and severely compromised the use of her arms. After ten years of misdiagnosis and struggling to learn the cause of her ailment, she finally received the proper diagnosis from a well-informed and compassionate pain management physician. Through his care, and a hopeful and positive attitude, Barbara was finally able to successfully manage the pain, She unpacked her paints and brushes and for the first time in year, Barbara took to the easel like a bee to honey She discovered how to deal with her lack of a steady hand by applying a Bob Ross-like technique with acrylic paints on black gesso. The resulting paintings were now dramatically vivid and more detailed than she ever imagined, colorfully highlighting her love of nature's beauty.
"I firmly believe that with God's help," she said, "I can accomplish things I was once afraid to tackle."
In 2008, she was invited to have her first exhibit at the Glen Cove Public Library and was encouraged by enthusiastic feedback from admirers who were looking forward to seeing more of her work. She became an active member of the Town of Oyster Bay Rotational Artist program and her paintings were displayed at various libraries, banks and businesses. Her work continues to be exhibited at various venues.
In 2014, she gave the first demonstration of her unique painting-on-black-gesso style at the Glen Cove Public Library. Shortly after, she did a demonstration at the Hicksville Public Library, which opened the door to a workshop where she teaches her techniques to beginners and more advanced students. She currently teaches workshops at many Long Island libraries, Adult Education programs and provides individual lessons. She has been interviewed by and featured in several Long Island newspapers and has received various awards at juried art shows.
Feel the wind; envision the soft bending of the branches of the tall pines below the snow-capped mountains where rushing water continues its trek through the thick forest. This is the basis of her work, and a reflection of her efforts. “God has a plan for me. I hope that through my paintings, I can continue to use the skill He gave me and reflect the magnificent and breathtaking scenes around me."
Barbara resides on Long Island, New York with her most devoted fan, her husband, Pete. Nearby are her motivational team- her two talented daughters and five cherished grandchildren. Her older daughter, Jodi Fahey designed and set up this Web Site. Her younger daughter, Amy Liaskos, does the graphic designs for print work.