Barbara Cella

"Acrylic paints have long fascinated me, and I love mixing up new colors to capture just the right atmosphere in the air, the nuances in the shadows, and the sparkle of color on a meadow."

Originally from Northern Minnesota, I spent many hours with my family camping, canoeing and hiking in the north woods, and enjoyed my solo times recreating these cherished memories in drawing and painting projects.

I headed west as soon as I could, spending five years as a naturalist for the National Park Service. My heart sang as I intimately experienced the esthetics, light, and color of Olympic National Park, Death Valley National Monument, Kings Canyon National Park and Point Reyes National Seashore.

I went on to be the Manager of Adult and Family Education at California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, Special Events Coordinator for REI’s Bay Area stores, and Marketing Director for CSU East Bay’s Concord Campus and Los Medanos College. Now, at last, I can focus on my painting!

I find myself drawn to expressing my creativity each and every day. I love the idea of creating something out of nothing - just a bit of paint and canvas. It amazes me how a painting evolves into something that can stimulate more ideas, which then, in turn, stimulate even more.

Acrylic paints have long fascinated me, and I love mixing up new colors to capture just the right atmosphere in the air, the nuances in the shadows, and the sparkle of color on a meadow. I find myself drawn to the Impressionists and dearly wish I could spend a day with Monet or Pissarro. As I explore the world of plein air painting, I feel I’m with them, experiencing the creative moment as they once did – the sounds, the sun, the breeze, the smells, and the creative process.

I am honored to receive an award in the International Society of Acrylic Painters international competition (2018) and to be juried into the Arts in Harmony 2019 Annual International Show - The Arts North Exhibition in Minnesota.

To share my creativity with others is an honor to me and gives me great pleasure. It is a very special moment when someone decides that they’d like to make some of my creativity a part of their lives. I look forward to many moments in the future as I continue to share my evolving art.

Barbara Hudler Cella