Sylvia Barnhill

Sylvia Barnhill bio photo

Sylvia Barnhill's Soul Art

What Inspired you to do a Soul Art journey?

I hit a wall of inactivity and needed an inspiration. I needed to “want” to do the art rather than feeling like I “had” to do the art.

How would you describe your creative process?

I made a commitment to participate and cleared my calendar. Wednesday, without preparation, I began the process: no one to assist me and no paper large enough, I used what I had (cold pressed watercolor paper.) I thought of what body parts I appreciated (loved) and started there (hair, hands, feet.) Next were the parts that I felt less love for (face and breasts.) After I self-traced all of these, the results were an obvious tree.

What insight did you receive from your Soul Art?

While the parts of my body that I loved were an obvious tree, the other parts were not so easy. I never know what to do with my breasts and face and that feeling flowed onto the paper. How was I to join those parts to the tree? In the end, they did not join the tree; instead they are the sky.

What is the most important thing you would like to share about your Soul Art experience?

The most important part is that I was inspired to paint again. This was the first time that I painted with watercolor in years; while there are mistakes in the technique, that is not what matters. The important part was the actual creation and the feeling of accomplishment after the creation was finished.