WHY I PAINT STILL LIFES:

Growing up in a house full of antiques with life tinged by the Victorian era, my memories are of a quiet and elegant time.

In my own classical still lifes, I try to recreate those special feelings by lighting various flowers, fruit, heirlooms, and drapery until I am satisfied that the overall setup conveys a sense of tranquility...paintings that can be enjoyed for many years.

WHY I PAINT LANDSCAPES:

I am a realist seeking the peace and quiet of earlier times. I am fascinated by the undulating hills, the green vistas, the soft blue mountains, and the rich historic areas around me.

Through both my plein air and studio paintings, I try to give an emotional response to these ever vanishing landscapes constantly in danger of suburban crawl.

Barbara Nuss
painting on Duke of Gloucester St.
during Paint Annapolis

By painting landscapes directly from nature and still lifes from studio arrangements, I learned the nuances of color and light on every imaginable subject from the rolling hills of the countryside to the delicate petals on a peony.

From 1983-1996 I taught still life and landscape painting in my studio and from 1998 through the present day I share my landscape painting skills through area plein air workshops.

I credit my artistic development to my B.F.A. from Syracuse University, the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore, my experience as a graphic artist and illustrator, various workshop instructors, and my students. I am a member of the Salmagundi Club, Oil Painters of America, International Guild of Realism (artist member), the Baltimore Watercolor Society (artist member), the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association (artist member), and I continue as president of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters.

My paintings may be seen at American Painting Fine Art in Washington, DC and at the Gallery of CNY (Central New York) in Cazenovia, NY.