Barbara McFadyen
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Bio: Barbara McFadyen, an enamelist and metalsmith of four decades, discovered the art of bookmaking at the Penland School of Crafts. McFadyen earned a BA in Creative Arts from Eckerd College and an MFA in Metal Design from East Carolina University. A summer immersion in Japan through the Parsons School of Design with Tokyo designer Gakuin inspired her love of the Japanese aesthetic. Nationally recognized, the artist’s work was recently added to the collection of The Enamel Arts Foundation. Her book works have been included in many competitive juried exhibitions such as The Book as Art v4: Boundless,Decatur Arts Alliance.
Statement: My inspirations and emotions, deeply connected to the natural world, have been nourished by observing, exploring, and gathering from nature throughout the seasons since childhood. I have been further stirred by Japanese art, which expresses an inimitably subtle, unobtrusive beauty and connection to the flux of nature. Through my work, I seek to transform inspirations of nature’s raw and wild beauty into distilled moments of tranquility.
Creating has always been an integral part of my life, beginning with tender memories of making miniature objects for imaginary play. I have explored this intimate scale and format through jewelry design, in gold, silver, and enamel. Discovering the artists’ book as a vehicle for my art came unexpectedly through a workshop on enameling for bookmaking. In addition to my passion for jewelry I am now enchanted by the medium of the artists’ book and its intimacy as an object to be held in the hand.
My current work examines beauty, love and loss, and finding solace through reflections of the past. Using paper, metal, and enamel, I preserve memories and the stories they hold. Through the shadow of the silhouette or the gaze of one loved and lost, my work endeavors to create a sense of intimacy, sacred space, and connection to those held dear. The silhouette becomes a tracery of the individual and experience; the gaze creates a sacred realm. Through exploring the intimate format of the book I am able to hold the memory or person with me.
Statement: My inspirations and emotions, deeply connected to the natural world, have been nourished by observing, exploring, and gathering from nature throughout the seasons since childhood. I have been further stirred by Japanese art, which expresses an inimitably subtle, unobtrusive beauty and connection to the flux of nature. Through my work, I seek to transform inspirations of nature’s raw and wild beauty into distilled moments of tranquility.
Creating has always been an integral part of my life, beginning with tender memories of making miniature objects for imaginary play. I have explored this intimate scale and format through jewelry design, in gold, silver, and enamel. Discovering the artists’ book as a vehicle for my art came unexpectedly through a workshop on enameling for bookmaking. In addition to my passion for jewelry I am now enchanted by the medium of the artists’ book and its intimacy as an object to be held in the hand.
My current work examines beauty, love and loss, and finding solace through reflections of the past. Using paper, metal, and enamel, I preserve memories and the stories they hold. Through the shadow of the silhouette or the gaze of one loved and lost, my work endeavors to create a sense of intimacy, sacred space, and connection to those held dear. The silhouette becomes a tracery of the individual and experience; the gaze creates a sacred realm. Through exploring the intimate format of the book I am able to hold the memory or person with me.