Aberdeen Village artist shares her skill, experience

A recent display of artwork by resident Barbara Mueller exhibits all the knowledge she’s learned over her career as an artist, which spans many decades.

“I’ve been painting for a long time,” said Barbara, who is 83. “I was into art in high school and was an art major in college. Then I went to graduate school.”

She worked as an art instructor for 33 years, first at Maryville College in Tennessee, then at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Throughout her career, Barbara has participated in a number of shows, including juried shows and solo exhibitions. Her work is included in the collections of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Manhattan, Kan.; Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, Kan.; Oklahoma State University in Stillwater; and William Woods College, Fulton, Mo.

Though Barbara has worked in several media, she has a favorite.

“Most the pieces are gouache wash,” Barbara said. “It’s an opaque watercolor. It’s a special kind of paint that’s different from other water-based paints.” Gouache can be applied in thick, solid layers or thinner “washes.”

The exhibit also featured a wood sculpture and several lithographs. Lithography is a printmaking process in which the artist draws a design on a flat stone or metal plate. After a multi-step process to treat the stone or plate, the artist applies ink and uses a press to transfer the design onto paper.  

Barbara included a portrait of her brother and several landscapes.

“The Vermont landscapes are some of my favorites,” Barbara said. “They are wash paintings of the mountains in Vermont, somewhat abstracted.”

Barbara has been with the Aberdeen Village family for a little over a year. She said she’s been getting adjusted to her new home and has been involved in a number of events and activities to keep herself busy.

“I do some painting here, but not as much as I thought I would,” Barbara said. “Art isn’t a hobby for me. It was my profession.”

See more of Barbara’s work at www.barbaramuellerart.com.

For more stories, visit our blog page