Barbara Lavallee, Alaskan Artist, Art Shop Gallery, Homer Alaska

A happy Eskimo child hiding in the closet peeking out from under her mother's parka, a Native dancer moving to the century old music of a walrus drum, or a hot tub full of friends on a snowy winter evening are just a few of the images Barbara Lavallee has offered in her popular watercolors. Lavallee, a native of Davenport, Iowa, grew up in Wisconsin and received a degree in art from Illinois Wesleyan Univ. After teaching art in Arizona on a Navajo Indian Reservation, she took a position at Mount Edgecumbe Native School in Sitka, Alaska in 1970.

Now living in Anchorage, Lavallee paints prolifically with many originals reproduced into limited edition prints. In addition, she has also become nationally known as an illustrator of children’s books. Her best known is Mama Do You Love Me? for which she received the coveted 1991 Golden Kite Award for the Society Of Children's Book Writers for excellence in illustration.

Lavallee is known for her happy people. People working, playing and living with smiles on their faces. Her watercolors portray whimsical, stylized characters in vibrant colors reflecting her interest in people. Lavallee can't imagine her life without painting. "I want people to have fun. If people look and smile, then I feel the art is a success."

Please see our Barbara Lavallee Retrospective which is listed below the following Sampling of Gallery Prints.

These are the available prints in our inventory. Please call or email for information and availability of other prints by this artist. We also have many books illustrated by Barbara as well as Ornaments and Suncatchers (see below the Retrospective). Please call or email for availability.

We are featuring a number of older prints, sold out at the publisher, which the Art Shop Gallery has available. Most of these are Artist's Proofs, which means that they belong to the artist and are generally sold after the numbered prints in the Limited Edition series are no longer available from the publisher. We are representing the artist in their sale. These are signed by Barbara, but instead of a number they are marked with an AP.