this is me
Lois Hoveke - Founder of Barnwords
I have three amazing boys (and one fabulous daughter in law.)
They are now all grown, which leaves me with more time to make stuff.
I am an outsider artist.
<that's a rather old pic of me.
I love art and have always enjoyed making things. I started Barnwords in 2012 when I began painting on lovely old barn wood, rescued from a friend's fallen barn in southern Wisconsin. My "other" job currently is working with perennial plants and I am lucky to be able to work outdoors part of the time. It's a seasonal job,so I am quite active here in the Fall/Winter months compared to Spring/Summer.
I am very Instagram active. Please feel free to follow me there. I'm 'barnwords'.
I find a lot of my inspiration from the natural world around me. Among a million things I love are a great book, a delicious coffee, and a good laugh.
I believe art, in all of it's many forms is what makes life extraordinary. I see beauty in every day scenes and all around me. There are so many unexpected moments in a day. I believe all people should create something to remain healthy. Dance and music both play a seriously major role in my life and have for as long as I can remember.
I especially like the sketchbook/journal medium. I love looking at creative's sketchbooks and journals...including my own!
Wouldn't it be amazing if ALL children started school with the practice of being given a sketchbook/journal and were encouraged to write, draw, scribble, express, anything ANY time they wanted to? Every year it would happen this way, and it's a habit by the time they reach college age.... I think it would be fantastic for nurturing creativity.
Collage has always been a favorite art form of mine. I love working with old photos...the history is rich and thought provoking...(what was he thinking? what did she do after this pic was taken? who is he to her? why do they look like that?etc.etc.) I love working with maps as they remind me how infinitesimally small my world is. I am fearful I will run out of time before I've been where I want to go.
Ahhhh, life. I am always learning.
I have always loved hand lettering and mixing type in my artwork. If you have a favorite quote or meaningful phrase, consider a custom BarnWords sign. The barn wood is a beautiful medium with its unique character and the ultimate in recycling.
I have done custom paintings and pictures for people, and although I don't claim to be 'the artiste' they were fun to do and my clients seemed to love them. I love making cards, the type you write to a friend and post....(i also love real mail).
The latest addition to the fam are barnwordssibs. (siblings of barn wood) These are painted on rescued cedar boards that were being thrown away!
- 2017-18 A few new things....
Barnwords sm.ARTs...small art ( 3"x4") with a magnet on the back.... GREAT gifts for friends. Great art for the fridge!!
BARNWORDSX are Christmas/holiday tiny ornaments... Hanging signs for the tree:) They are 3" x 1.5" Check these out if you like unique Xmas ornaments. I've been incorporating super cute OLD Xmas stickers that were collected in the 30s-40s by my mother.
I just LOVE them!!
Barnwords can be any size. A lot of them are about 2 feet long, or a bit more, by 5.5" wide.
The babies are little 5-6" by 5" cuties awaiting adoption.
These all come with a hanger attached to the back.
Name your size.
Words are fabulous. They connect us to one another and remind us that we are loved! Painting words on these wood pieces is interesting as the textures of the wood affect the finished product and individualize it. The finished signs are treated with a UV and water-resistant coat and come with a hanger attached.
**Please contact me if you are interested in carrying Barnwords in your shop.
So many great things to see. I hope I never stop looking.
Thanks a million for visiting Barnwords.com, and I hope you enjoy what you find.