Barbara Erwin was born and raised on the Cherokee Indian Reservation out of Copperhill, Tennessee. The family then moved to parts of Arizona, California, and Idaho, and finally settled on the Oregon-Idaho border on the banks of the Snake River, following crops to survive. They lived in tents, cars and makeshift houses when available. In her free times, she rode horses in the sagebrush along the river banks, basking in the smell of the horse, the sage, and loving every minute of Gods creations. The love of art was born in a two-room county schoolhouse where her much loved teacher and mentor, Clara Collins, taught the school children art each Friday afternoon. For the first time in her life a world of beauty opened up. Mrs. Collins also gave piano lessons in trade for her doing chores around the school. The art, Music, the great outdoors, and God Himself became the love of a young heart.
Because of hardships, she found value in the free things of life, such as God’s beautiful creations right from the Master Creator Himself. “I don’t do His art justice” she says, “but I thank Him daily that He has given me the hunger for art and that I am able to bask at His table and feed my soul from His bountiful supply.” Barbara’s love of God, people, the animals, and such beauty that surrounds her is evident in her paintings.
Barbara paints mainly from her own photographs and memories of people, places and events in her life. “Learning that the things that touch my heart and spirit are also the memories that others hold in their heart. All our lives touch each other somewhere, somehow. We are all God’s children on a journey called life.” Many years and miles since then Barbara now has her own studio called “Heartstrings” which was born out of her lonely existence as a young girl.
Her logo reads, “Lord, I sometimes become lonely and afraid and lose my way in the dark times, so tie a string from your heart to mine so that I can find my way home by the tug of your Heartstring.”
Barbara paints mainly from her own photographs and memories of people, places and events in her life. “Learning that the things that touch my heart and spirit are also the memories that others hold in their heart. All our lives touch each other somewhere, somehow. We are all God’s children on a journey called life.” Many years and miles since then Barbara now has her own studio called “Heartstrings” which was born out of her lonely existence as a young girl.
Her logo reads, “Lord, I sometimes become lonely and afraid and lose my way in the dark times, so tie a string from your heart to mine so that I can find my way home by the tug of your Heartstring.”
