Cassandra Christensen-Barney
Cassandra Christensen-Barney, the daughter of painter James
C. Christensen, was born and raised in Orem, Utah. She received
her Master’s degree in Fine Arts from Brigham Young University
in 2000. Her husband is also an artist, and their three daughters
enjoy creating along side their parents. In addition to her
children, Barney encourages many others to explore the world
of art. She taught at The Waterford School for four years and
part time at BYU. The Barney family will relocate to Vancouver,
Canada this fall where her husband Dan will pursue his doctorate
in curriculum studies at UBC.
Cassandra’s images capture the souls of heroines, everyday
women who have found strength and personal victory in their
diverse experiences. Her portraits carry a range of emotion
reflective of the events that have shaped their character. Ambiguous
and poignant, Cassandra’s women find strength in their
femininity. "They are beautiful and strong, because of
the complexity of their feminine nature," she says. "My
portraits may not always feature the outwardly pretty or majestic,
but they all share a quiet beauty that asks us to listen and
to feel. My work reflects my personal narrative, yet my intent
as an artist is to create an experience that will allow the
viewers to bring new interpretations to the symbols, creating
their own narrative and own sense of understanding and place."
