Mixed media artist featured at Phillips Studio

Phillips Studio & Gallery presents the mixed-media artwork of Louise Barker in an exhibit titled “Sophisticate Organic Elements.” The public is invited to meet the artist during a First Friday reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 5.

Barker’s layering of different materials results in a textured, one-of-a-kind, mixed media experience that can be viewed as wall art. Her sense of design is tactile, and she strives to find perfection in the imperfection. It is a unique balance of sophistication and nature, which is reflected by the landscape of Montana — the alpenglow on snow-topped mountains, birch bark, aspen leaves and rocks.

Barker works and lives in the Flathead Valley. She arrived in Montana by means of her thumb in the ‘70s and remembers exactly where she was standing, the time of day and what the weather was like when she knew that Kalispell was where she was meant to be. Two weeks later, she arrived for good with all her belongings in the back of a ’63 El Camino.

Being a designer and creator has always been part of Barker’s life. She began working with fiber and making jewelry at an early age. Some of her processes include batik, silk painting, applique’, stitching, coloring fabric with paint and dye, silk screening, eco printing, discharge dyeing, indigo dyeing, and working with metal to dye with rust. Working with these types of dyeing processes involves a certain amount of accepting the unexpected. Eco printing is a process that requires real leaves to imprint on fabric or paper. The results can never be certain how the leaves will dye onto different surfaces.

While dyeing and printing on fabric to create accessories and clothing has been a main love, she incorporates fiber in unexpected ways. Because of her work with metalsmithing and fiber, Barker creates works that incorporate the contrast of hard metal and soft fabric. This harmony asks the viewer to look at the elements in a new way.

Barker says a good day in the studio will find her hammering, sawing, soldering silver and copper and working with beautiful gemstones like kyanite, amazonite, pearls, turquoise, obsidian, lapis and more.

Barker’s work will be on display at the gallery through Aug. 27. Phillips Studio & Gallery is located in the Kalispell Center Mall.