Barbara Toothpick
I lived the first 30 some years in the mid west... married, divorced, birthed Alyssa became an Assistant Professor and a Dean of Women at Northland College.
Went to NYC.. became editor of the Journal of Social Issues, taught at the College of Insurance. Became involved with G.R.O.W. a business that ran many different kinds of group therapy sessions. Met Alan. Birthed Zoe. Did Art shows & readings.
Moved to Maine... with the family, to become the painter musician poet I wanted to be... showed work under the name Barbara toothpick.... learned to backpack, make gardens, hike long wilderness trails, cook and heat by wood... learned the names of plants birds insects stars... learned what it means to have little money. Did Art shows & readings & singings.
Moved to Philadelphia, with the family, became part of the art, poetry music scene... performed, had art shows, bought and renovated a building. Developed Play theater.. Collected and processed insects for the Academy of Natural Sciences. Traveled to many countries and Car camped all over Canada and the USA, traveled to Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Did Art shows & readings & singings.
Wrote and preformed plays, did a full stage production of One Woman Show with Alan and am working on a much revised video version of it.
The best part of all of this is learning to
think in images... Painting,
hear patterns...
string everything together with words... Poetry.
Alan Horseradish
My life: art work aside I’ve had a pretty easy ride
born to a couple of depression folks
I enjoyed growing up on a cul-de-sac row house street, so play was easy between the neighbor kids from 3 streets over I remember a wagon train going on for blocks.
Skip to painting: I had been to the Barnes Foundation and admired watercolors by Charles Demouth. On a day sick in bed I drew and painted in his style small compact figures I then switched to large abstract oil paintings. I did a mural on a wall and got myself admitted to the Penna academy of fine arts where I lasted 2 years.
Then I went to nyc still painting large abstracts
came to Maine and condensed to water color miniatures, seascapes, figures, faces, abstracts.
What is my motivation, inspiration, driving force,
what am I trying to convey, express,
why paint?
Pure and simple I enjoy the drawing the colors the retreat from all else. Liquid watercolor is so fluid (a reality but somehow in my control.)
I work small as my instincts keep me there large space leave me blank I hope you enjoy my work.
Thanks.
