BIO: BARBARA UNES
“Painting gives me joy”… My high school art teacher gave me my first opportunities with Art.  The enrichment I gained from those experiences lead me to teaching which became my profession. Although I worked corporately for many years, Art and teaching  has always been my first love. As a teacher it is important to explain to students what they are learning, why they are learning it and how that relates to the “world around us.”  My Art business “Art Around Us” reflects my teaching goal to keep art relevant to the real world.

When I was an undergraduate at Western IL University, one of my professors was a strong advocate of technique experimentation. His enthusiasm and encouragement made a profound and lasting impression on me. To this day, I continue to take classes and involve myself in the art community in an effort to learn and discover new ways to present my art.

My love for watercolor painting has grown into experimental mixed media. Several of the paintings presented here involve non-traditional watercolor. The ghosted American flag images superimposed over the barns were created using an airbrush. Over the years I’ve tried other interesting techniques that involved the use of salt, bleach, various types of paper as well as assorted paints.

Now that I’m retired from full time teaching I have more time to dedicate to my artwork. I still teach privately and at other community venues on a part time basis. Teaching provides me the opportunity to share the joy that art gives me. It will always be a part of my life.