Barbara Kenny Biography
Having a lifelong interest in artistic pursuits, Barbara Kenny attended Chouinard Art Institute in California for a year. She then decided to develop her own style of painting by pursuing her personal motivations in subject and style. Her study took her from the west to the east coasts and back again, settling in Salt lake City, Utah where she set up her first studio. She had two consecutive yearly shows of her own works which sold out. During that period a small show in Grand Junction, Colorado was also well received. Finding a variety of places to display her paintings, she remembers the unintended compliment when one of her works was stolen from a bank!
After moving to the east coast, Barbara continued with both fine and commercial art for several years and also taught painting in adult education classes in Fairfax County, Virginia. Because of limiting back problems, she had to temporarily give up art and pursued instead a degree in Clinical Social Work. She established a highly successful career as a psychotherapist in Fredericksburg, Virginia in public mental health and for the last 20 years of her career, in private practice. Painting continued on weekends.
Now, following retirement from the mental health field and after a move to Frederick, Maryland, Barbara is devoting her time to her first love, painting. She has long been admired for the moods and spirituality she brings to her oil paintings. Spirit, nature and passion burst into color and leave the viewer experiencing emotionally what they see in her paintings.
Barbara exhibits paintings at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Center in Frederick, Maryland, winning awards and, as in the past, selling many of those paintings. She has also successfully shown and sold paintings at eight bi-annual solo shows at the Blanche Ames Gallery in Frederick.
Barbara has had two solo shows at Liberty Town Arts Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Several works each year are accepted by juried panels and exhibited for sale at Art at the Mill in Berryville, Virginia.
Forty of her works have twice shown at Gallery Unicorn in Towson, Maryland. Another big show was hung at Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church in Adelphi, Maryland.
Barbara was asked to mount a show for the Fredericksburg (Virginia) Area Association of Realtors as a fund-raiser for their chosen charities. The success of that show prompted another, equally successful show the following year.
The vision continues. The painting continues.
Barbara Kenny
(540)845-0350
midken10@gmail.com
