INCANTATIONS
Barbara Romain’s Incantations series invites the viewer into a visual spell—an ever-shifting landscape shaped by light, memory, and the limits of perception. Created through the lens of her degenerative retinal disease, these paintings reflect what Barbara called her “Swiss cheese” vision: scattered fields of distortion and clarity that change moment to moment, shaped by light, emotion, and energy.
"What I am able to see changes constantly... It’s like everyone is in witness protection—dotty, blurry, and shifting. I'm using what I have—and what I don’t have—as part of the creative process.”
In this state of sensory flux, Barbara discovered a new kind of language. Incantations are layered compositions of color and form, where ancient symbols and modern pop icons collide—hieroglyphs, graffiti, pictographs, and fragments of poetry rising from the surface like whispers in a dream. Some symbols are invented. Others are pulled from global traditions and everyday life. Many require visual “digging” from the viewer—acts of searching, reading, and unearthing. “
They become icons and symbols of natural forms… Text in many languages and conversational rhythms create weavings of words where viewers are invited to create their own poetry.”
These paintings do not reveal themselves all at once. Like spells, they unfold through presence and attention. The works echo the layered way Barbara herself experienced the world—half-seen, half-sensed, guided by intuition more than sight. There is no single story in these paintings. Instead, each piece becomes a kind of living map—where color, texture, memory, and myth converge.
The Incantations series is both visually rich and spiritually charged. It is a ritual of transformation, an offering to the unknown, and a call to the viewer to become a co-creator in meaning. These are not just paintings. They are poetic fields—alive, layered, and waiting to be read.
 WALK ON GUILDED SPLINTERSAcrylic, 72" x 48" |  PILGRIM STARAcrylic, 48" x 24" |  MANTRAAcrylic, 30" x 24" |
|---|---|---|
 LAST LADY TRAINAcrylic, 72" x 48" |  COLOR HAIKUSAcrylic on 8 panels, 24" x 48" total |  WHISPERSAcrylic 36” x 24” Collection of Anonymous, Chicago, IL |
 GARDEN OF EDENAcrylic & mixed media, 72” x 96 |  GEOMETRYAcrylic on 4 panels, 24” x 24” |  COLOR HAIKUS #2Acrylic on 8 panels, 24” x 48” total |
 LOTUS MINDAcrylic, 36” x 24” |  FIRE, BURNAcrylic, 72” x 72” |  WATER, BATHEAcrylic, 72” x 72” |
 EARTH BURROWAcrylic, 72” x 72” |  AIR, BREATHEAcrylic, 72” x 72” |  MOTHER EARTHAcrylic, 36” x 24” |
 TERREMOTOAcrylic, 72” x 72” |  TOWER OF BABELAcrylic, 96” x 48” |  GOD'S HALF-WITTED BROTHERAcrylic, 72” x 48” |
 I DREAMED I ARRIVED FOR MY OPENING AT THE WHITMENT IN MY MAIDENFORM BRA Acrylic, 72” x 72” Collection of Diana Zlotnick |  A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDSAcrylic, 36” x 24” |  I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT ITAcrylic, 72” x 72” |
 FORTUNEAcrylic, 72” x 72” Collection of Diana Zlotnick |  HERSTORY & HISTORYAcrylic, 2 canvases Collection of Diana Zlotnick, Studio City, CA |  HISTORYAcrylic, 72” x 48” |
 HERSTORYAcrylic, 72” x 48” |  BODY MIND SPIRITAcrylic & mixed media, 72” x 144” |  WHAT COMES AFTER BLACKAcrylic & mixed media, 72” x 72” |
 KILL A PIGAcrylic, 72” x 72” |  DIALOGUE PEACEAcrylic & collage, 72” x 72” |  DIALOGUE STARAcrylic, 72” x 72” |
 UGLY/BEAUTIFULAcrylic, 36” x 25” Collection of Diana Zlotnick, Studio City, CA |  CHICKEN LITTLEAcrylic, 36” x 24” |  TREE OF LIFEAcrylic, 72” x 144” |
 SECRETAcrylic & mixed Media, 17” x 35” |  AmericaAcrylic, 72” x 48” |  Whose Myth are Youse WithCardboard & Acrylic on Velcro, 72” x 48” |
 HOPE & LOSSAcrylic, Lottery tickets & pennies, 112” x 72” |  BICEPTUALAcrylic, 24” x 18” Collection of Robert Tobias, Santa Monica, CA |  THOMAS GUIDEAcrylic & Marker 72” x 96” |
 ROAD KILLAcrylic on 16 panels, 62” x 80” total |  HOLLYWOOD SUNSETAcrylic & mixed media, 72” x 48” |  HOT FLASH IN ECHO PARKAcrylic & mixed media, 72” x 72” |
 NATURE CALLSAcrylic, & mixed media, 72” x 72” |  SIGNAcrylic & collage, 18” x 24” |  The 5 HindrancesAcrylic, 48” x 36” |