Barbara

Meet the Artist

Barbara Anne Applegate aka Abquisto pronounced AB-KEY-STOW

Barbara was born in 1944 in Fort Worth, Texas and then at age 5 moved with her parents to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Growing up in the great southwest gives a perspective of colors, value and hues in her painting a vibrant color patterns. Barbara's compositions and use of light and color have attracted private collectors. Although a self taught artist, her approach to art is of places remembered from her youth, a fond memory of animals and children, fuzzy puppy kisses, the whinny of a horse, meow of a cat, the feeling of sun on your face on a summer day. She usually wants to put a puppy, or a cat, or a horse into the piece, especially her Australian Shepherd dogs and children, because they have played a big part in her life. Barbara continues to raise and train Australian Shepherd dogs since 1984 and also finds the time to Judge Australian Shepherd conformation shows occasionally. She is an Australian Shepherd Club of America sanctioned Breeder Judge since 1994. And her kennel was awarded the prestigious Hall of Fame # 61 Award.

One of my Favorites

As far as artwork, you will find she is most comfortable painting animals, western landscapes and seascapes with a flair of the southwest where she grew up. Given that, I was born in Texas, raised in New Mexico and after marriage to a US sailor, moved to Whidbey Island, Washington, California, Minnesota, Connecticut, I have lived in Oregon since 1981. The traveling gives her a first hand knowledge of many different parts of the country from which to draw ideas. She currently lives in the beautiful rural and rugged scenic Rogue River Valley of Southern Oregon, a self taught artist, starting her painting career in the late 1960's. In 1972, I painted my first canvas using oils, then beginning in the 80's moved to acrylics as a medium of choice, and started searching decorative art as a means of a creative outlet. In 1997, I start creating computer generated dog animation using some of my old artwork I used to create my animated gifs. And now I have come full circle, I am back to painting with oil on canvas in 2007, she offers unique original oil paintings, limited edition prints and some greeting cards. Barbara is now semi-retired most of her time is consumed by painting, she says, "I sometimes spend years creating a piece, sometimes its only weeks. Sometimes the art just comes as the canvas progresses and sometimes it is well planned from a picture in her mind. Her art is a reflection of who she is, and what makes her tick,"