^{Bonita Barlow was born on the East Coast in 1955 to a recently-immigrated Swiss mother.}

^{Following high school, she got her degree at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, then spent a year living in the Massachusetts State Forest.}

^{In 1977, Barlow visited Santa Fe at the invitation of photographer Douglas Kent Hall. Barlow found New Mexico' s artist-friendly atmosphere, unconventionality and expansiveness hard to resist, and so she moved there.}

^{She soon began showing at Santa Fe galleries such as Ernesto Mayans and Handgraphics. Shows followed in Colorado Springs, Indianapolis, San Francisco, and Santa Monica CA.}

^{Barlow eventually moved to southern New Mexico, spending time in Truth or Consequences, Hillsboro, and Animas Creek. There, Barlow concentrated on selling art out of her studio, which she calls "an act of faith. "}

^{Says Barlow, "to keep both my spiritual and physical needs met, I developed two bodies of work. I paint on old doors and other objects destined for the dump. This folk art recycling keeps me fed and brings the satisfaction of making something from nothing. My other works -- my light sculptures -- are large canvases with reflective surfaces."}

^{The light sculptures work best in rooms with limited ambient light, which makes them perfect for home installation—but presents problems if a gallery attempts to light them traditionally.}

^{According to writer Suzanne Freeman, "the unusual sheen and shimmer of Barlow's [glass sculptures] derives from her use of minute glass beads, which capture and amplify the available light. Movement changes the angle of reflection, thereby altering what the viewer perceives. As one walks by the canvases, patterns emerge while others disappear. As the room lighting waxes or wanes, varying layers of color reveal themselves."}

^{Pepita's Gallery is proud to offer Barlow's miniature paintings, colorful renditions using satire and social commentary to entertain and amuse the viewer.}

^{These small original arworks are a testament to Barlow's astute perception of the characters and situations found in daily life.}

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