I live and work as an artist in South Central Oregon, After working 35+ years in beautiful Southern California, I relocated to Oregon to establish a studio. Close enough to major cities and art communities, I am inspired by the outdoors and awesome beauty in the mountain forrest, and lake community, of Klamath Falls.
Over the years my work with a number of different art media was most satisfying. Now I concentrates on "design" work and specifically commissioned artwork with origami.
New artworks - many incorporating origami, are available for purchase. These are one-of-a-kind originals - many contemporay in design, for display in homes, offices, professional institutions, and wherever art enhances and "inspires" in the chosen enviroment.
More exhibits or shows are planned in the future. Look for news of that here.
Biography: Barbara Turner- OrigamiDesigns.com
Ms. Turner believes life is art and art is life, especially for her. "Design" art is a favorite and a passion. As with most artists, the love started with a pencil, a crayon, a paintbrush, a lump of clay, glass, and paper. After majoring in Art in High School, came college and life after graduation that took Barbaras' career in different directions. As wife, mother, then single mom, Barbara worked many years in the business world of the big city, making a living. She continued her art in illustration, or design work, painting, designing for custom ceramics, illustrating for magazine ads or brochure covers, even glass blowing to earn extra income. “Origami paid some bills!” My greatest joy in life is and was being Mother to my son. He was very supportive of my return to art with origami and always on the lookout for another “book” for Mom.
After a serious auto accident in’73, Barbara lost the use of her right arm and hand for many months. During the next year, most feeling returned with some nerve damage, lost of feeling, and a diagnosis, later of arthritis at 28 yrs. old. Barbara was forced to give up glass blowing, but continued her art, and origami folding, even using it to rehabilitate her hands. It was only years later while working in TV and on films, that Barbara started folding "seriously" once again for art, and for income. In the year 2000 she officially established her OrigamiDesigns.com business ….after folding since she was 10 yrs. old! Her goal remains the same, “to educate, inspire, and share origami and its benefits and the beauty of this art, with the world.”
Barbara has donated 1000's of hours of origami work with children and adults in schools, classrooms, libraries, retirement homes, hospitals, and other institutions of learning or education. She has attended conventions and conferences for origami. She says she is lucky to have "sat in" on folding classes with established “masters, as well as master folder, not so well known, but hidden "treasured individuals" in the origami world of art. Her library is extensive and growing yearly, her studio is a place of tranquil art work, joyous and lively interaction with classes and groups, and private individual instruction or consulting. Barbara hosted the International Peace Tree Festival for Origami in 2004, in the United States, and has done extensive window displays and library displays with her work. She has folded for TV and for film, and consulted on TV and film folding, for props. She has folded for major corporations - Corbis, Blackberry, X-Box, and Film Studios. Ms. Turner uses origami in her Motivation Seminars. Her aim is to continue educating, sharing with origami, and expounding the "Benefits of Origami" in education, health industry, with seniors or the autistic, even in science and medicine. Paper, metal, fabric, napkins, even bathroom tissue, she will probably be seen folding it all!
With the new studio workspace, Barbara is starting a new area of her work and business, that will allow her to do larger and more creative works with paper and the origami art. “I love my origami work on the crane artworks for clients. I love my design work for clients and companies, my teaching, and motivational speaking, using origami. I will continue this work I am enthusiastic about these new avenues and works incorporating origami art!” She continues to donate her time and teaching skills, to teachers, health care workers, and of course in the schools, from kindergarten to college level whenever she is able.
Raised in the Midwest, after college graduation, Barbara relocated to Southern California for thirty plus years where she raised her son (and countless critters) in the Southern California environment. Ms. Turner lives and works – in her new art Studio - in the Klamath Basin now, and travels with her origami when possible. You can learn more about her extensive work with Origami and the Art of Origami, at her website www.origamidesigns.com.
View of a Gallery Showing Celebrating the Year of the Tiger 2022 Klamath Art Association showings
