Today we’d like to introduce you to Barbara Tabachnick.
Hi Barbara, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My professional career began as a research assistant in human factors research, motivated by my love of statistics as an undergraduate major in psychology. Along the way, I diverted into painting for a few years when working full time and then continued my degrees at UCLA. My doctorate in Experimental Psychology led to 25 years as a Professor at CSUN, during which time I temporarily abandoned art for belly dancing—performing solo and with a troupe; designing and making a closetful of costumes. Alas, the audiences grew too young about the time that I retired from CSUN, and I returned to art while continuing to consult and write professionally. Along the way, I published a couple of books, one of which became a “best seller” in multivariate statistics. Now, I focus my energy on art.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road for me has been relatively smooth but hardly straight. I’m happiest when juggling disparate roles: artist, researcher, dancer, traveler. The challenges of being a woman in roles that were considered unusual (e.g., statistician) were strong in the 60s but fortunately have lessened. At the age of 87, I’m finally slowing down physically but still trying to keep up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At heart, I’m an experimental artist—“What will happen if…?” I work in acrylic, watercolor, encaustic, mixed media, and digital photography at all levels of (occasional) realism and abstraction. Content, if any, usually relates to architecture and landscapes, particularly trees. I love to explore phone and computer apps – digital creation and manipulation of images provide hours of joy in playing with my thousands of images. I make art because the process feels good, and the anticipation of the outcome is exhilarating. My favorite works include a bit of whimsy, a touch of the incongruous, some ambiguity, and perhaps a measure of beauty.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
To get the negatives out of the way, my least favorite things about our city are the traffic and of course, our inability to deal with homelessness. As for the city itself, I love it! I love the vibrancy of the diverse, colorful neighborhoods, the weather, the proximity to mountains and the ocean. I love the theatre, the opportunities for artists, and the ability to be a part of many artistic communities. I’ve lived here most of my life, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.barbaratabachnickart.com and www.csun.edu/~vcpsybxt/
- Instagram: btabachnick22
