Ex Votos: Little Expressions of Gratitude
Life is an ongoing series of miracles. Everyone has something to be thankful for or someone they should they should be saying “thank you” to. Prayers, large and small, are answered daily, sometimes without us even knowing. Ex Votos are fine art offerings commissioned as the result of an answered prayer and displayed to acknowledge an appreciation for it having happened. Today, they are most widely known as the folk art works created on tin and found in shrines across Mexico.
“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 ideas, but sharing and exchanging them. Some are events that have happened in my life. Others are ideas that have been shared with me. Every mother has experienced the elation of holding their child for the first time and savoring that new-born baby smell. Each time I see Never Felt Joy Like That Before it is a chance to savor that feeling againand say “thank you” for letting me experience this miracle.”
Each Ex Votos celebrates the exceptional nature of the common and the uncommon: friendship, love, life, family and self. They recognize the divine nature of those things. This collection is styled with the look of the Mexican tin-paneled works and they are designed to be hung in groupings. As gifts, they are the perfect message at the perfect time. Life is full of blessings and Cassandra Barney’s Ex Votos give us the opportunity to share our recognition of this with beauty and grace. All canvases mounted on archival Gatorboard®.

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. Send A Love Letter that will be written anew every time she looks upon it. Or let a cherub of love visit daily with My Valentine. True love is an answered prayer, let her know you feel that way, too.

“At times I have had delusional ideas about surrounding myself with perfection and about how I defined paradise,” explains Cassandra Barney. “I tried to picture what my paradise looked like. Is it a blissful garden where nothing ever happens? Does it smell like coconut and sound like trickling water and birds singing? Or is it something totally different. Maybe paradise is where I am; a place where the only thing at rest is my heart. It's a place where a lot is happening. Maybe it smells like dish soap as I clean the kitchen after dinner and sounds like raucous music, children discussing homework and my parrot who really wants out of his cage.”
“'Angelina’s Paradise' is not a place; it is how she chooses to perceive her surroundings. She has the wisdom to see Paradise about her. The idea is not all that different from my painting 'Be Where Your Feet Are.'

“Some paintings just flow off the end of your brush, others evolve over time. Comfort was one that took a while,” Cassandra Barney explains. “My husband said that every time I worked on it I would repaint the whole thing and lose what was a beautiful painting in the process. I think that happens sometimes. You have to be willing to give up on something that is not quite there in the process of finding something better. The layers of color and luscious texture the painting has taken on are a result of that repainting process.”
“That approach also gave the painting the time to evolve into a more pertinent reflection of the feeling I wanted to express about motherhood. We all want to be a source of strength when it comes to caring for and protecting our children and at the same time we have that time need to be loved and protected as well. It's about giving comfort and the comfort you receive in return. In providing comfort to my little lambs, I receive the same in return.”
Cassandra Barney’s distinctive style and voice are an exceptional blend of contemporary vision and sincere values. Comfort, like its sister work Mary Magdalene, stands out for not only the extraordinary beauty of its execution but for the warmth of its message. This Greenwich Workshop Fine Art Edition can be ordered gallery wrapped for a frameless, contemporary presentation.

"With age, art and life become one" - Georges Braque
"I’ve never understood the drive to hold onto one’s youth. I think people grow more beautiful throughout their lives as they live and learn through experiences, trial and triumphs. A life well lived is beautiful and something to be grateful for."
Life is an ongoing series of miracles. Everyone has something to be thankful for or someone they should be saying “Thank You” to. Prayers, large and small, are answered daily, often without our recognition.

"I am continually touched and grateful for my friends. True friendship is a gift. It is a gift given without anything expected in return. Friends are people with whom we choose to share our lives, the good times and bad. They are the people who buoy us up. They are the people who inspire us to be better."
Life is an ongoing series of miracles. Everyone has something to be thankful for or someone they should be saying “Thank You” to. Prayers, large and small, are answered daily, often without our recognition.

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. Send A Love Letter that will be written anew every time she looks upon it. Or let a cherub of love visit daily with My Valentine. True love is an answered prayer, let her know you feel that way, too.

We all know women who find their greatest joy in giving to and caring for others, women who are only content when the ones they love are safe, healthy and happy. "I had originally intended this to be a reverent and solemn piece, but when it was finished, I realized this woman is happy, really happy, to be giving all she has," says Cassandra Barney.
Life is full of these moments of change and the figures in these paintings are striving for something. The quartet is about committing to an action rather than expecting an answer. Rather than the traditional blessing of poetry, dance or music, these extraordinary, elegant muses inspire us to grow, to change and to never give up.

“I remind myself to ‘be where my feet are’ often,” says artist Cassandra Barney. “My mind tends to drift toward the future, sometimes planning or worrying about what lies ahead, missing the present. Being present is where life is the most rich and colorful. I've even found myself consciously feeling the soles of my feet on the ground to get myself there.
“I really like the way the images on the vintage wallpaper enriched the idea. The hunters in the background could be a distraction but the figure stands with her feet on the ground, amongst the most beautiful flowers.

Fresh and funky, stirring and enigmatic, Cassandra Christensen Barney’s portraits charm the viewer with their unique take on the feminine mystique. Ask any of Barney’s growing circle of loyal collectors what makes them anxiously await each new portrait and the answers may be wildly diverse. Simply, each viewer brings their own meaning to each canvas. Inspired by mythology and folklore, Barney’s women often take on layers of rich symbolism and Demetria is no exception. Named for the Greek goddess of harvest, Demertia glows with fertility and abundance. Demetria

Eliza Day
Cassandra Barney
Original
9 x 12
$1,200
Contact us for availability

“I paint strong women who take chances in life,” says the artist. “They really put themselves out there by giving everything to all they do, including their relationships. I think that with such great passion comes great vulnerability. I don’t think it’s the fear of being alone, but a deep understanding of the loss of something so beautiful.

Cassandra Barney's portraits capture the spirit of womankind with a truly unique style. The understated simpicity of her characters have a charm and whimsy that have captured the imagination of a new breed of fine art collector. In "Genevieve," the butterflies suggest the metamorphosis of women and the changes they experience as they grow and learn.

Mary Magdalene was created as a result of an invitation to Cassandra Barney to appear in an Artist Guild International show called Art of the Restoration in Salt Lake City. The artists are commissioned to create a piece of art based on their own vision of a gospel theme. “I envisioned the scene at the tomb and wondered about Mary Magdalene, after her conversation with the resurrected Savior. I pictured Mary in thoughtful relief,” says the artist.
“The elements represented in this painting all have symbolic meaning. The cross was constructed from the dogwood tree. The white dogwood blossoms fall around the figure to symbolize the suffering that is past. Ivy symbolizes the path where Christ walked. Primula is a flower of compassion and also a symbol of resurrection. The crocus represents of the resurrection and heavenly bliss. A chrysanthemum was present when Christ was laid in the tomb. Easter Lilies symbolize the pure soul’s resurrection and the Oriental poppy symbolizes Christ’s blood. The passionflower that Mary holds represents Christ’s wounds and the begonia symbolizes the heart of Jesus.
“The egg hanging in the tree was inspired by a story I read about Mary and the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Mary Magdalene, following the death and resurrection of Jesus, arranged to meet Emperor Tiberius. She held an egg in her hand and exclaimed ‘Christ is risen!’ Tiberius said that was as likely as the egg in her hand turning red while she held it, where upon the egg in her hand turned a bright red. Mary went on to talk about the life and teachings of Jesus to the imperial gathering.”

Also known as Athena, this Greco-Roman goddess personified wisdom, the arts and war. She was typically portrayed accompanied by an owl (a traditional symbol of wisdom) but this "Minerva" takes a new approach to the symbol, grasping it tightly in her fist, holding fast to her hard-won wisdom. "I'm fascinated by the idea that she brought art as well as war to the earth," says Barney. "Does the war make the art necessary? Is the art she brings worth the high price of war?"

Cassandra Barney evokes the emotions of the viewer through her frank, compelling portraits of the "muses" of our daily lives, with their soft, gentle eloquence and mysterious beauty.
Courting Pandora, Barney's recent show of original paintings, was based on the female archetype of Pandora who, according to legend, could not resist opening a mysterious box which unleashed evil on earth (but also contained "hope"). "I don't feel that Pandora was tricked into, or was naively curious about opening that box," says Barney. "Remember, she was the culmination of all the gods' gifts to man and not just some passive beauty. I think she intentionally brought the balance of good and evil into the world.
The elusive butterflies that flutter about "Pandora," "Etta" and "Ramona" whisper of the women's passions, hopes and fears, inviting you into their intimate reflections. Displayed on their own, or combined with Cassandra's other works, these distinctive gems capture the simple eloquence of life's many moods.

Petula
Cassandra Barney
Original
18 3/4 x 12 3/4
$2,000
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“While I worked on this painting, I often thought about paradise,” says artist Cassandra Barney. “I was thinking about the times in my life when I have felt absolute contentment, a beautiful feeling that has come at times when I’ve lost myself in the care of others. The figure in the painting holds a strawberry, which has many associations including fertility, chastity, heaven, holy trinity, humility, paradise and purity. Fruit is considered to be evidence of God’s kindness and a symbol of his Providence. Fruit is also a symbol of good luck and several kinds of fruit frame the top of the painting. The lambs are in the care of this ever-vigilant shepherdess and she is in a state of bliss.”

Quietness
Cassandra Barney
Original
8 3/4 x 11 1/2
$700
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The name Theodosia means "God's gift" in Greek. The scarab beetle, an Egyptian symbol of resurrection, flies close to her hand. "'Theodosia' is about embracing spirituality," says the artist. "We don't know if she's reaching for the beetle or letting it go, but it's never far away." Teh gentle golden glow on "Theodosia's" hair suggests a heavenly countenance just may be keeping watch.

This trio of figures represents Faith, Hope and Charity. Faith has a sprout rising up from her heart like the line in a song, “Faith is like a little seed, if planted, it will grow.” In the center, Pandora’s box rests at Hope’s feet. If you remember the story, after evil was released from the box all that remained inside was hope. Lastly, Charity stands to the right, apron on and ready to get to work

Violets are a symbol of innocence and purity. The "Violetta" in this painting is reaching up for that innocence; she's really trying to improve herself and her life. "Violetta's" searching gray eyes and curved half-smile strenghten each of us in our quest for personal growth.

The Art of Cassandra Barney
Barney’s images capture the souls of heroines, everyday women who have found strength and
personal victory in their diverse experiences