We were lucky to catch up with Barbara Mink recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Barbara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I woke up one winter morning 25 years ago with an irresistible urge to paint. My father was a painter-so I never was. But I started with a workshop on botanical drawing- and my flowers spilled off the paper. Being untrained I committed to showing I could render accurately- and I could. I went through flowers, fish, figures, and landscapes. I took a workshop on oil painting and one in using acrylic but other than that I just kept experimenting. One day I took a large seascape- and got rid of the horizon line. I was now an abstract painter and I’ve never looked back.

Barbara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I paint large canvases with a balance of color, line and texture.that people like to live with. One of the most meaningful comments is when someone says they usually don’t like abstract work but there’s something about mine that draws them in.

I’ve always been attracted by scale- I paint mainly large pieces. Sometimes I wonder if it’s because I grew up in Buffalo with the Albright Knox Museum, which featured heroic- sized Abstract Expressionist work . There’s often an element of landscape in my work, rather than a rigorous formalism, and I’m inspired by a sense of place.

Because my work is large it’s often sought out by institutions and businesses, but most of my clients buy my work for their homes, from students starting out or getting married to people looking for color to live with.

I do believe that beauty affects not only how we feel but how we behave. I think we’re hardwired to
appreciate beauty in music, art and literature; we can learn sophisticated ways to approach art,
but at the most basic level I think people respond to certain constructs found in nature as reflected in aesthetic fundamentals and classic tropes.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I did not start out seeking a life as a creative, but I always “did” something while working to earn money. When I was a journalist I acted in local theater and made jewelry- when I was in politics I learned how to sew and made a new dress for every meeting(seams weren’t finished but please don’t judge). I’ve taught in Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management for over 30 years, but get up at 4 am to run up to the attic studio to paint. I never intentionally tried to balance creative work with other jobs, but looking back I can see that there was always a need to “do” something. To this day if I’m out of town for a few days the first thing I do when I get home is to start a new painting. Moral of the story? Find something that gives you joy and follow it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As a visual artist there is nothing to compare with seeing someone fall in love with a painting I’ve done. They see or feel something that I never intended- and what they bring to it expands both our perceptions. I’m often asked if it’s hard to let go of paintings once they’re done. Sometimes I like to live with a new piece before putting it in the gallery- but seeing it in someone’s home or office is thrilling. I teach communication in my other life- and sharing a love of art is a powerful form of communication as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: HTTPS://www.barbaramink.com
• Instagram: Https://www.instagram.com/barbaramink
• Facebook: Https://www.facebook.com/theminkgalkery
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaramink