Bobbie Salthouse

Bobbie Salthouse has studied painting, drawing, graphic design and advertising at the School of Visual Arts in New York and studies painting with Helen Corning at the Yellow Barn Studio, Glen Echo, MD. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a B.A. in the History of Art. She also holds an M.A. in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania. Before starting Salthouse Design, in 1983, she worked for a number of advertising agencies and publications, including Seventeen Magazine and House Beautiful Magazine. Her paintings have been shown at the Arts Club of Washington, Touchstone Gallery, Yellow Barn and Strathmore Arts Center.

Artist statement:

My paintings are a reflection of my state of mind at the moment of their conception. In contrast to my work as a graphic designer, where the client’s needs are foremost in my mind and the printed execution demands much planning, my paintings are an intensely personal and spontaneous expression. I often make use of typography, handwriting, or unreadable “pseudo-handwriting” and improvised scratching in my paintings. Another technique I employ is a process of editing out areas of the paintings, revealing unexpected “micro-compositions.” I think of these scribblings and surprises as whispers which are heard and felt, though not meant to be understood on a cognitive level. The world of childhood and play has informed my work in a very direct way, as I have been working with children at the Lab School of Washington. I find additional sources of inspiration from my interest in foreign languages, and all things Italian, as well as a love of nature, the outdoors and sailing on the Chesapeake.