BIO:

Barbour holds a BA and an MA in Fine Art from Buffalo State University, including the study of fresco painting in Siena, Italy. Her career segued into Graphic Design, which required additional study at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. She founded Barbour Design Inc. Over 30 years the firm grew to have multiple studios, an international clientele and won many awards. In addition, she taught Design at Parsons School of Design and Design for Marketing Communication at NYU. After selling her Design firm, Ava continues creating drawings and sculptural jewelry. Her work can be seen in numerous exhibitions.

STATEMENT:

Drawing gives me a deep spiritual connection to the mutability of nature. My color, shapes, and movement are informed by the natural world from tornados and clouds to coral reefs and stone. While peaceful on the surface, my drawings tend to have an inner turmoil or danger that lies just beneath the surface. Beauty and violence live intertwined as an allegory to human nature. While I enjoy experimenting with media, I primarily use a combination of pastel, watercolor/gouache and collage. I scratch and abrade the substrate to add texture and tension.