God's Tears for Marilyn
by Beverly Barris
This painting is a quiet prayer, a tender offering to my dear uncle, George Barris - the last to capture Marilyn Monroe in both image and spirit. In their final days they shared more than photographs. They traded laughter, unspoken sorrows, and the rare, delicate bond between artist and muse.
Uncle George lived a life woven with legends. His lens found the faces of Sophia Loren, Charlie Chaplin, Steve McQueen, and countless others. But beyond the shimmering names was a man of kindness, warmth, and gentle magic - a storyteller whose postcards and tales painted my childhood in colors of wonder.
This piece carries his memory, cradles his friendship with Marilyn, and honors the heart behind the camera. In every brushstroke, I send love to the man who made the world a little more beautiful, one story, one image, one soul at a time.
With all my love,
Your niece, Beverly Barris
Beverly Barris
My purpose is to touch and connect with the human soul through my art.
When I feel a rapport and harmony during the physical act of creating, I become one with the work. At this point, I know the truth is being expressed through my heart and soul.
- Based inVentura County, CA
- MediumsOil, acrylic, mixed media
- SubjectsLandscape, still life, portrait
- CommissionsOpen, limited per season
How a painting gets made
Every piece begins away from the easel - a walk along the water, an afternoon in the studio watching light move across a table. Beverly works from these moments in life rather than photographs where she can, building each canvas in layers over several weeks.
Early sessions are loose and fast, blocking in shape and color. Later sessions slow down considerably, as she works back into the surface with a palette knife to build the texture her paintings are known for. A finished piece usually goes through five or six of these sessions before it's ready to leave the studio.
Commissioned work follows the same process, just pointed at a subject you bring her - a portrait, a home, a place that matters to you.
“I paint the same coastline over and over because it never gives me the same light twice.”- Beverly Barris
Commission a custom piece
Portraits, landscapes, or a piece sized for a specific room - Beverly takes on a limited number of commissions each season.
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