Raymer Society Consignment Art Auction
Lot 74:
Description
Tobiska, Barbara (1923-2023) oil on canvas board, Rockies Reflection, no visible signature, good condition, canvas size: 7 x 8 inches. Barbara Lorraine Tobiska (1923-2023), at an early age, showed an interest in art. In the early 1930’s, she was selected among her peers to study painting in an early version of after-school activities. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in arts from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska and went on to serve as a teacher and mentor in art, swimming, and adult education. She was employed by Jefferson County School District’s Adult Education program for 36 years as an educator for hundreds of students. She taught the American Red Cross’ “Learn to Swim” program for over 50 years starting in college to pay herway through school and taught for years at the Lakewood Morse Park pool. She taught swimming and art in most of the Colorado towns where she lived, including LaPorte, Ft. Collins, Weldona, Sterling, Lamar, Montrose, Trinidad, Salida, and Alamosa before moving to Lakewood. She began her serious painting in 1946 as the first woman fire spotter on Twin Sisters Peak in the Colorado Front Range, while surrounded by the inspiration of the Colorado Rockies. Barbara was an educator throughout her life and she thought of herself primarily as a teacher. She once commented, “If I couldn’t feel like I was really making a difference in these people’s lives, I wouldn’t keep teaching.”Her passion for art continued until the week before her passing, when she was working on her last painting. During her life, she produced nearly 5000 works, primarily using oils as the medium. Her subject matter was landscapes as well as still life. Barbara contributed sixty years of time and energy in the Lakewood arts community towards building a lasting artistic presence in Colorado. She was a founding member of the Mountainside Art Guild. She was a driving force behind providing over 40 sculptures throughout the city of Lakewood beginning with the 1988 “Sculptures in the Park.” She helped design and complete the Cultural Center in the Lakewood City Commons area in 1998, including a 350-seat auditorium, 2 gallery areas, and community meeting spaces. She was appointed to the Lakewood Heritage, Culture& the Arts Commission in 1999 and served on the Lakewood Cultural Arts Citizen Advisory Commission and Task Force for Creating a Lakewood Arts Council. She was a founding member of the Lakewood Arts Council Gallery in Lakewood Colorado.an inspiration to all.`
Condition: good condition
Dimensions: 8.25 x 9.25 x 1 in
Weight: 0.7 lb
Share this lot:
