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Love owns one holiday, but giving these works of art will remind your Valentine of your love all year long. Cassie Barney’s Ex Votos are created in recognition of life being an ongoing series of miracles. And surely love is one of the grandest them of all. Each Ex Votos is a fine art offering commissioned as the result of an answered prayer and displayed to acknowledge gratitude for it having happened. For the celebration of love, they are the perfect gift at the perfect time.
Both "A Love Letter" and "My Valentine" are styled with the look of the tin-paneled works found in shrines across Mexico and can be hung alone, together or with the other Ex Votos. “These little artworks are painted out of gratitude for the miracles, protection and prayers answered not only in my life, but for many of us,” says artist Cassandra Barney. “In conceiving these, it didn’t seem that I was illustrating an idea, but sharing and exchanging one. It is a chance to savor that feeling and say ‘thank you’ for letting me experience the miracle of love.”
Love is what the heart can hold and each of these Ex Votos embraces this exceptional yet familiar emotion with beauty and grace. Let a cherub of love visit daily with "My Valentine." True love is an answered prayer, let her know you feel that way, too.
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Cassandra Christensen Barney was born and raised in Orem, Utah. She received
her Master’s degree in Fine Arts from Brigham Young University in 2000. “I've
had a passion for the craft of the portrait since I was a child. As a young
girl, I visited museums around the world with my father, collecting postcards
adorned with 16th century art. Exploring these simple images captured my
imagination, unlocking a world of discovery. I love the art of storytelling,
the layers of symbolism, and would create my own stories of these quiet women,
making the paintings my own. Today I paint portraits that share my passion for
storytelling while revealing my personal journey of transition and discovery.”
Christensen Barney’s images capture the souls of heroines, everyday women who
have found strength and personal victory in their diverse experiences. Her
portraits carry a range of emotion reflective of the events that have shaped
their character. Ambiguous and poignant, Cassandra’s women find strength in
their femininity. “They are beautiful and strong, because of the complexity of
their feminine nature”
“My portraits may not always feature the outwardly pretty or majestic, but
they all share a quiet beauty that asks us to listen and to feel. My work
reflects my personal narrative, yet my intent as an artist is to create an
experience that will allow the viewers to bring new interpretations to the
symbols, creating their own narrative and own sense of understanding and
place.”
Christensen Barney and her father, James C. Christensen, delight in working
together. “My Dad inspires me to experiment with my own style, media and
interpretation. Painting together in his studio, we have developed a wonderful
synergy, critiquing each other and encouraging each other to experiment with
colors, surfaces and textures.”
Life is truly art at Christensen Barney’s home as her husband is also an
artist and teacher. Her three daughters enjoy creating along side their
parents. In addition to her children, Barney encourages many others to explore
the world of art. She taught at The Waterford School for four years and part
time at BYU. The Barney family will relocate to Vancouver, Canada this fall
where her husband Dan will pursue his doctorate in curriculum studies at UBC.
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