California artist Barbara Bouman Jay is an award winning artist working primarily in painting and printmaking. She often works with vertical stripes, rectangular shapes and a subtle, reduced palette of hues to create her characteristic and recognizable non-representational works.

While working within the constraints of a geometric understructure, Barbara's work reflects a quiet drama that is unfolding through spontaneous expression of construction and deconstruction, presence and absence, in intellectual or emotional compositions.

She states, “Working on several pieces simultaneously, I allow a dialog to develop among pieces while exploring both experimental and deliberate actions. Content is neither literal nor representational, but rather a response to subconscious and conscious process. I recognize the indeterminate possibilities and outcomes of each piece and act upon impulse and intuition, while maintaining a stylistic coherence, keeping the empty space in my work as important as the space accentuated with marks and shapes.” This approach continues until the piece becomes relevant for her and she thinks “it works”.

Of her new work, she says “ through these pieces, I hope to energize my audience into responding to what they see; to motivate them to complete the picture in their own terms of exploration and judgment and to enjoy a sense of intrigue. I hope to capture one’s interest and appreciation of both order and the unpredictable occurrences and lead the mind into an awareness of minimal narrative content, making time and place indeterminable, but familiar. While my visual expression has evolved over 45 years of exhibiting, some of my basic concerns continue in exploring spatial ambiguity which creates a constantly shifting visual field, sometimes implying vast spatial expanses. Having had the unique experience of spending childhood freely roaming the open sands of a Florida beach environment and post college years in Sub-Saharan West Africa and later crossing the Sahara Desert, I continue to be inspired by the vastness of open spaces and the beauty of natural surroundings, influencing my work. Relocating to the rural mountains north of Los Angeles in 2004 has further influenced my aesthetic in terms of balance and space and color, spontaneity and order.”

As a full-time painter and printmaker exhibiting regularly across the United States, she has shown in more than 350 juried group shows and nationally attended art fairs and festivals. Solo exhibits have taken place in museum, gallery, and college venues. Her work has received numerous awards and is held in private collections, corporate, and permanent city collections.

Her art business has been designated as a "Trusted Art Seller" with The Art Storefronts Organization, which means you can shop with confidence, and know that she stands behind the quality and value of her products.