When I first came across acrylic painter Barbara Clark’s work, I had to double-check to make sure she wasn’t actually a photographer!
Barbara started out as a decorative painter and muralist 15 years prior to becoming a fine art painter in 2011, but nowadays, she is known for her incredible talent for realism.
Let’s take a look at Eden Road below. Thorns thick as carrots, containing a brutally sharp tip, protect the spindled plant rising from the earth. Fern-like leaves of deep green fan out behind the protective barrier, ascending into full adulthood thanks to their built-in defense system.
This plant is beautiful, yet deadly. As some of the dying barbs transform into rich nutrients for the soil around it, new, stronger spikes protrude forth to battle against anything wishing to harm the plant.
It’s a fascinating—and accurate—representation of the never-ending battle between life and death.
In Ocean, we see another breathtaking force of nature. Steady waves methodically pound the sand, no doubt spraying a fine, salty mist into the air with every rolling crash.
No detail is left unnoticed by Barbara—every ripple, splash and froth is accounted for, and the turquoise glassiness of the water is spot on. It’s a treat to look at, and one that has me wishing for a nearby ocean.
My favorite part about Orchid Show is the composition and movement it entails. The orchid draws the eye nicely down the page from top to bottom, and every petal tells a story about the delicate balance this plant must have to survive.
Olive green leaves portray a sense of harmony and peace against the brighter, bolder orange and pink petals. The spots on the leaves remind me of cacti, and make me assume this flower is tougher and rougher than it initially appears.
In the background, a tangle of dried grass offers even more detail to the painting as it densely blocks out the larger bottom portion of the blooming orchid.
If you’re a fan of Barbara’s work, then you simply must check out her online portfolio. It hosts a collection of paintings including even more hauntingly beautiful orchids, which you’re sure to love.
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