Meet Ariana Barnstable | Artist and curator, painter of the Lazy Cowgirl series in Denver CO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ariana Barnstable and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ariana, what do you attribute your success to?
As an artist, I am always seeking new opportunities to challenge myself and push the boundaries of my creativity. Trying new things for the first time teaches me how I can grow as an artist, it expands both my skills and my perspective outside of the studio. I love the challenges of curating new spaces and working in new mediums to refine my authenticity as an artist and what makes my expression uniquely mine. Embracing new experiences helps me stay motivated and inspired, pushing me to constantly evolve and establish my work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been a full time artist in Colorado for the past five years. I paint a series of Lazy Cowgirls that are western inspired with a contemporary twist. The Lazy Cowgirl is about self care, reconnecting with nature and enjoying life on a daily basis. My art is personal to me. It is a reflection of my experiences in Colorado and abroad and I love incorporating text from my journals into my work. I paint smaller watercolor works as well as large scale works on linen and this year I did my first piece on a 13 foot velvet fabric. My work is all about joy. It is largely inspired by nature, as well as the culture of the places I visit abroad, and I love incorporating the cowgirls into my artwork be that out in Europe or up in the mountains of Colorado. I find that many people connect to the simplicity and joy of my work and I love curating spaces and collaborating with musicians and chefs to create elevated art experiences .

Currently I am creating my largest work to date, which is a full Lazy Cowgirl saloon installation art piece inside of a warehouse as apart of a residency program called No Vacancy here in Denver. It is a collaboration between my self and Lauren Young who specialized in large scale disco installations and we just installed a disco wagon wheel chandelier…

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In the RiNo neighborhood I would recommend Crema as my favorite cafe, Hop Alley for dinner and Blind Tiger for cocktails.when friends or family come to visit we always plan a mountain getaway for their vacation. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful and inspiring state!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shout out to my family it is a beautiful thing to pursue what you love and made even more special when you can share that with those who you love.

Website: https://fikkachica.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fikkachica/

Image Credits
Molly Solorzano