Meet Hope Barton
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BIOGRAPHY
For 25 years, I worked as a printmaker creating multiple-plate and hand-colored etchings. I showed in juried sidewalk art festivals such as Winter Park, Mt. Dora and Gasparilla. From 1997 through 2001, I owned a gallery in downtown Clermont, FL. During that time, along with teaching and demonstrating, I started doing a lot of acrylic painting. We moved to St. Augustine in 2005, I discontinued the etchings, did some plein air painting and started creating larger studio paintings. During my walks with my dogs, I found wonderful scenes at the beaches and parks. In addition to this inspiration, we purchased a fishing place on the West Coast and it greatly influenced my work. I showed at several galleries in St. Augustine and have been chosen for collections in hospitals, hospices and other medical facilities. For 14 years, I showed at Arts on Douglas in New Smyrna Beach and had several successful one person shows. We moved back to Clermont in 2016 and I opened another gallery in 2019. Unfortunately, I had to close it because of COVID and other personal reasons. Since closing, I have concentrated on getting an online presence and working with art resources in this area. My current work is about secret, sometimes small places that I have found by the side of the road, in state parks and boating through the creeks of Florida. What I want to say about Florida is not about what you see from a turnpike or major roadway. The real Florida lies in remote areas. You have to be aware of your environment and pay attention to what is happening. In the past few years, I have been painting fairly large but I have many gems for sale that are small and collectible. The etchings available are the end of them – all original prints done totally by hand. The plates have been cropped and varnished or totally destroyed. |
