Barbara Bolls-Guillory

Barbara Bolls-Guillory

My current representational and surrealistic artworks express my cherished memories and daydreams, connections with nature and the divine, and wonder and play. Whether I am printmaking or painting, I travel to many places in my inner home and dialog with myriad aspects of my Self to bring back reflections and wisdom from the natural and sacred worlds. Through my creative memoir, I hope to empower others to witness, heal, and celebrate themselves as they are.

I create intuitively, always listening to the muse’s ebb and flow, but I also draw upon my model-building, illustration, and design experiences to ground my art. I usually focus on a figurative subject, natural or inanimate, and juxtapose it with one or more elements/symbols to compose my story, prayer or blessing. I render my art realistically or stylistically from direct observation and photographs. I vary my approach in color and texture to create contrasts as well as incorporate other media or embellishments to sweeten details.

Born and raised in the Philippines, I developed a love for art as a young child and taught myself how to draw. I immigrated to San Francisco, California, as a teenager, and my desire to learn and do more art never waned. In high school, I studied Figure Drawing, Interior Design, and Fashion Design for two summers at the Academy of Art University. I continued to study art and design at City College of San Francisco, where I also earned my Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design. I wore many hats at various creative and corporate industries in the Bay Area for over two decades, such as model-builder, digital artist, graphic and interface designer, email marketer, and copywriter. My creative work is also deepened by my studies and practice in shamanism, Reiki, and SoulCollage®

My art was exhibited in San Francisco at herchurch’s ANEW Gallery in 2017; in 2022, at Ingleside Gallery and CCSF’s Juried Student Online Exhibition. In 2023, I became a member of the Art Guild of Pacifica, and I currently show my artworks at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica.
Email: bbguillory@gmail.com
Website: instagram.com/barbarabollsguillory
Instagram: barbarabollsguillory