Beechwood Gallery Fine Art

Eliza Rosanna Lamb Barchus was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1857. After her first marriage ended in heartbreak, she moved west with her second husband, John Barchus, settling in Portland in 1880. While raising a family, she studied under painter William Parrott and became an active member of the Mutual Art Association, where her landscape paintings won several awards.

At thirty-three, Eliza unveiled a significant painting of Mount Hood at the National Academy of Design in New York City. Following her husband's death, she established a successful art studio in downtown Portland and ventured into real estate, constructing and selling homes. In 1905, she earned a gold medal for her paintings at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition and pioneered the introduction of color postcards in the United States.

Throughout the 1920s, Barchus was prolific, creating thousands of vibrant works and using an innovative assembly-line technique. She successfully advertised her art through a catalog and displayed her paintings at the B.B. Rich concession in the Portland Hotel.

Despite aging challenges, including arthritis and diminishing eyesight, Barchus continued to create until 1935, living a remarkable life until she passed away at 102. Her centennial birthday was celebrated by Eleanor Roosevelt, and in 1971, the Oregon legislature named her "The Oregon Artist," recognizing her contributions that spread a romanticized vision of the American West across the nation.