An Artist with Many Names …
Officially, I’m Barbara, but most people call me Babsi – and when colours and canvas come into play, I become Ananda.
I live with my family in Völkermarkt, Austria, and work professionally as a social educator. Creativity has been part of my life since childhood, but it was only about six years ago that I discovered painting as an important part of who I am today.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I began painting more intensively. What started as the simple joy of creating gradually became a meaningful way to find balance in my life – and eventually, a true passion.
When I paint, I leave everyday life behind. I immerse myself in colours, shapes and textures, follow my intuition and allow whatever wants to emerge in that moment to take form. That’s when I become “Ananda”.
The name Ananda comes from Sanskrit and represents joy, bliss and inner happiness. To me, it perfectly describes the feeling I experience while painting. This is also how Ananda’s Art Gallery was born – along with my very personal philosophy of “Art from the Heart”.
I am a self-taught artist and have never followed a traditional path of formal art education. I learn by doing – experimenting, observing, starting over, evolving and having the courage to follow my own path. I don’t feel the need to follow a particular style or set of rules. It is precisely this freedom that allows me to explore new possibilities and continuously develop my artistic expression.
Alongside modern and abstract painting, spiritual elements occasionally find their way into my work. Symbols, colours, energy and harmony may become part of a piece – but only when they feel right within the creative process.
My paintings don’t follow a fixed formula. Each one evolves in its own way, carrying something of the moment in which it was created.
Perhaps that is the essence of my art:
I don’t paint to fit a particular style. I paint because painting has become a part of who I am.