Oil and cold wax on canvas

Barbara McLain began painting at age 43 when she left her nursing faculty position to pursue her original dream of becoming an artist. Recently retired as a hospice nurse,she has naturally leaned toward figuration and the vulnerable human as the primary focus in her art.

Painting is a way for me to explore the human spirit in its journey toward truth. Working in oil, watermedia, and coldwax, I investigate the often wounded, hidden, and mystical side of life and death. As a nurse practitioner and a hospice nurse, my artwork has naturally emphasized figurative expression. This emphasis is a way of connecting with the deepest truth of who we are as humans.