By Bonnie Owen
As a child, Barbara Drews was always interested in the art shows around the Pacific Northwest where she grew up in Tacoma, Wash. She never missed an opportunity to visit a gallery or an art museum. After a career of thirty years with United Airlines, Drews surprised herself by putting brush and paint to a canvas.
With the encouragement of her neighbor and dear friend, Mary Alice Stanley, she was encouraged to try painting. Barbara was so inspired by Stanley’s art that she jumped in and several years later, she is still painting and looking forward to learning something new every day.
Drews loves nature and conveys that in her use of color and texture. She has also made some artistic birdhouses that people love to hang in their garden.
Drew Bandish was Barbara’s first teacher. Then she took classes with Chuck MacPherson who continues helping her find her inner artistic self. Bandish encouraged her to try different media and to fully express herself artistically.
Drews’ work is mostly in acrylic and watercolor and she especially enjoys painting and decorating bird houses with items of nature found in her daily walks. Leaves, seeds, seed pods, pieces of bark are inspiration for her art.
Barbara enjoys being a member of the Foothills Art Association and receives ideas and inspiration from the members there.
— Bonnie Owen is editor of Footnotes, the monthly newsletter of the Foothills Art Association.
