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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 SPLINTERS

WALK ON GUILDED SPLINTERS

Acrylic, 72" x 48"

PILGRIM STAR

PILGRIM STAR

Acrylic, 48" x 24"

MANTRA

MANTRA

Acrylic, 30" x 24"

LAST LADY TRAIN

LAST LADY TRAIN

Acrylic, 72" x 48"

COLOR HAIKUS

COLOR HAIKUS

Acrylic on 8 panels, 24" x 48" total

WHISPERS

WHISPERS

Acrylic 36” x 24” Collection of Anonymous, Chicago, IL

GARDEN OF EDEN

GARDEN OF EDEN

Acrylic & mixed media, 72” x 96

GEOMETRY

GEOMETRY

Acrylic on 4 panels, 24” x 24”

COLOR HAIKUS #2

COLOR HAIKUS #2

Acrylic on 8 panels, 24” x 48” total

LOTUS MIND

LOTUS MIND

Acrylic, 36” x 24”

FIRE, BURN

FIRE, BURN

Acrylic, 72” x 72”

WATER, BATHE

WATER, BATHE

Acrylic, 72” x 72”

EARTH BURROW

EARTH BURROW

Acrylic, 72” x 72”

AIR, BREATHE

AIR, BREATHE

Acrylic, 72” x 72”

MOTHER EARTH

MOTHER EARTH

Acrylic, 36” x 24”

TERREMOTO

TERREMOTO

Acrylic, 72” x 72”

TOWER OF BABEL

TOWER OF BABEL

Acrylic, 96” x 48”

GOD'S HALF-WITTED BROTHER

GOD'S HALF-WITTED BROTHER

Acrylic, 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 WORDS

A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

Acrylic, 36” x 24”

I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT

I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT

Acrylic, 72” x 72”

FORTUNE

FORTUNE

Acrylic, 72” x 72” Collection of Diana Zlotnick

HERSTORY & HISTORY

HERSTORY & HISTORY

Acrylic, 2 canvases Collection of Diana Zlotnick, Studio City, CA

HISTORY

HISTORY

Acrylic, 72” x 48”

HERSTORY

HERSTORY

Acrylic, 72” x 48”

BODY MIND SPIRIT

BODY MIND SPIRIT

Acrylic & mixed media, 72” x 144”

WHAT COMES AFTER BLACK

WHAT COMES AFTER BLACK

Acrylic & mixed media, 72” x 72”

KILL A PIG

KILL A PIG

Acrylic, 72” x 72”

DIALOGUE PEACE

DIALOGUE PEACE

Acrylic & collage, 72” x 72”

DIALOGUE STAR

DIALOGUE STAR

Acrylic, 72” x 72”

UGLY/BEAUTIFUL

UGLY/BEAUTIFUL

Acrylic, 36” x 25” Collection of Diana Zlotnick, Studio City, CA

CHICKEN LITTLE

CHICKEN LITTLE

Acrylic, 36” x 24”

TREE OF LIFE

TREE OF LIFE

Acrylic, 72” x 144”

SECRET

SECRET

Acrylic & mixed Media, 17” x 35”

America

America

Acrylic, 72” x 48”

Whose Myth are Youse With

Whose Myth are Youse With

Cardboard & Acrylic on Velcro, 72” x 48”

HOPE & LOSS

HOPE & LOSS

Acrylic, Lottery tickets & pennies, 112” x 72”

BICEPTUAL

BICEPTUAL

Acrylic, 24” x 18” Collection of Robert Tobias, Santa Monica, CA

THOMAS GUIDE

THOMAS GUIDE

Acrylic & Marker 72” x 96”

ROAD KILL

ROAD KILL

Acrylic on 16 panels, 62” x 80” total

HOLLYWOOD SUNSET

HOLLYWOOD SUNSET

Acrylic & mixed media, 72” x 48”

HOT FLASH IN  ECHO PARK

HOT FLASH IN ECHO PARK

Acrylic & mixed media, 72” x 72”

NATURE CALLS

NATURE CALLS

Acrylic, & mixed media, 72” x 72”

SIGN

SIGN

Acrylic & collage, 18” x 24”

The 5 Hindrances

The 5 Hindrances

Acrylic, 48” x 36”

  

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This website was created with support from the National Arts and Disability Center at UCLA and the California Arts Council.

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