The Palacio Podcast
Artist Barbara Rivera Paints Colors that Explode with Joy
Barbara Rivera is not a classically trained artist and she’s fine with that. She is a Cuban-Mexican-American Artist from Southern California who paints colors that seem to vibrate off the canvas. Rivera is a self-taught artist who as she worked a full-time job, raised a family, and with her husband’s support, she would come home and paint. It was a passion born when she was young.
“I always felt since I was a child that I had a special gift…I remember in Catholic school sitting there looking around my classroom with the little statues and I would just draw and doodle.”
The passion incubated in grade school continued through high school where Rivera took Drawing and Painting. But, a serious professional career would not come about for Barbara Rivera until her forties.
“That’s when I really picked it up once the kids left for college.”
Artist Barbara Rivera
Artist Barbara Rivera sat down for an interview with PalacioMagazine.com at the Picture This Gallery on Norse Way in Long Beach where an exhibition of her work has recently ended.
The Education of Barbara Rivera
Self-teaching oneself in any field involves discipline, determination, and passion. For Barbara Rivera, there was one more thing.
“Making a lot of mistakes. It’s very frustrating but when something comes out to your desire if you like it you’re like ‘Oh, I know how to do this now.’”
She always knew she could draw, then she started adding the colors picking up oil painting.
“You just have to do it.”
Her paintings are oftentimes hyper-realistic because of Rivera’s use of colors.
“So, if it looks yellow, I probably added a little more yellow or orange just to make it pop a little more. My style is like, I don’t know, Barbara style.”
The artist Barbara Rivera finds inspiration exploring events and fairs. Children (with their parents’ permission) and adults alike are her models and inspiration. She photographs them which she then uses later to create her paintings.
“They’re real people. My nieces and my nephews or dancers that I’ve seen at different events throughout California and other states.”
Finding Barbara Rivera
You can find the art of Barbara Rivera at https://barbarariveraart.com/ or contact her at barbarariveraart@gmail.com. She’s on Twitter at @BarbaraR_Art, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/barbarariveraart/, and on Instagram at #barbarariveraart.
