Painting
Barb Springer
Bringing a Little More Colour to the World
Painting the places and moments that bring me peace and joy.
PAINTING IS THE DESSERT OF MY LIFE—it’s the bit that fills me up, satisfies my cravings, and yes, sometimes feels like a guilty pleasure.
I’m a Signature Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists (AFCA) and currently serve as Secretary on the executive of the Victoria chapter. My paintings have found homes in private collections all across the country, and you might catch me painting during my residencies in hotels around Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
Originally from Manitoba, I fell in love with art at an early age and took lessons at the Art Gallery of Western Manitoba. My parents, my teachers, and especially my Aunt Beth (a potter) and Uncle Mac (a painter whose work hangs in the National Gallery) helped nurture this passion. I earned an Education degree from Brandon University, focusing on art education. When I started teaching in Birtle Manitoba, a small rural town, I happily took over teaching the art classes for other teachers in the school!
After a few years teaching in the small town of Birtle, Manitoba, I took a detour into clay. For about 30 years, pottery ruled my world: making, teaching, and running a studio/gallery. I even transformed an old lumber yard into a studio/gallery and later became managing partner at The Pottery Store, a collective of six potters in Chemainus, BC.
In 2007, my MUSE called me back, and I returned to painting full-time. My work is endlessly inspired by where I live—Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island—and the everyday sights: light and shadow, textures, reflections, moods that wash over a scene at different times, and even quirky, quiet still lifes.
For a while, I juggled art with another gig: working as a Certified Personal Tax Practitioner for about 500 clients. I know! It’s a crazy thing for an artist! However, that seasonal hustle gave me plenty of time to create art the rest of the year. In 2018, I sold the tax practice to focus entirely on painting.
Since moving to Greater Victoria in 2011, I’ve been lucky to live near my adult children and grandson—and to soak up the island’s daily beauty. When I’m not in the studio, you might find me at the Union Club, playing snooker or billiards (and yes, occasionally winning!).
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