Enter the Secret Realm
Forest Steps in Progress. Bainbridge Island, WA
Forest Steps 24x30 Acrylic on Canvas
Hi, I'm Barbara Ferrier.
Filmmakers use storyboards to plan movies. I painted this world and its characters before I wrote the Secret Realm Novels.
After working as a television producer in Los Angeles, I wanted to create original stories, have easy access to nature, and be available for my daughters. I moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington, where I set up a studio in a protected wetland.
Surrounded by ancient trees and shifting light, I began painting landscapes—and as I painted, the Secret Realm came to life. I kept notes for the stories and characters as the world took shape on canvas.
The novels followed.
See those footprints? Follow them under the arch-and the Portal will open for you.
Eventide 36x48 Acrylic on Canvas, Barbara Ferrier 2022
Sylviana Wolfspirit 24x18 Acrylic on Canvas 2014
Sylvia is one of the Legends. Enjoy her story in Fire Goddess here. She also appears in the Keepers in Keepers of the Secret Realm - along with her Magic Wolves, of course.
Secret Passage 12x12 Acrylic on Birch Board. Sold
The Violinist. Ancestor of Music. She appears in Magic Invitation and in the Apprentice Mage books. Sworn to protect the Realm, her music heals.
The Violinist, 24x18 Acrylic on Canvas 2013
My heroes—advisors, teachers, and good friends—inspired the magic wizards, the Keepers, and the Legends of the Secret Realm.
The toxic ones?
The "my way or the highway" types?
They inspired the villains.
Writing those scenes gave me cringeworthy goosebumps while I couldn't stop laughing.
You'll see what I mean.
Yote The Ancient one. 6x6 Acrylic on Birch - sold
Where Story and Art Collide
The Secret Realm's forests, mountains, and hidden passes were inspired by the Pacific Northwest, the high desert of New Mexico, and the Himalayan foothills of Nepal.
Each piece is an original painting—one of a kind, and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Free shipping anywhere in the US.
Hector 6x6 Acrylic on Birch 2018
Into the Northern Straights 6x6 Acrylic on Clayboard 2016
About the Characters
Coming Soon: The Magic Wolves. Stay Tuned.
While living outside Kathmandu in a mud-hut village and making my first documentary film, I discovered the ancient Tantric color traditions inside Nepal's shrines.
The peaceful atmosphere, pastels, and bold jewel tones stole my heart—and established my color palette.
About the Colors
Perfect Flow 12x12 Acrylic on Cradled Birch 2018
When you're walking along the beach to the portal at Sunset, this is the view.
Secret Falls, 2019 24x12 Acrylic on Canvas - Sold
Excerpt: From Lost City, Book Two. Keepers of the Secret Realm
“We’re taking a Spirit Trail,” Kris said, his voice low, almost conspiratorial. “Here’s how it works. Think of one or two things you loved about the Waterlands when you were there. Feel yourself there again. Concentrate until it feels real.”
Jaime closed his eyes. The incredible rush of river water, diving off the cliff into clear emerald water, the thrill of finding a special, magical stone in the river—he let those sensations wash over him until the memories pulsed and felt alive.
“Dearest Maiden of the Forest,” Kris murmured into a crystal unlike any Jaime had ever seen. It was made from the heart of a petrified tree, crystallized and shaped into a prism of clear amber. It glowed faintly in Kris’s hand. “I will arrive with my nephew, Jaime, to visit.”
Kris slipped an arm around his shoulder. “Now. Turn those wonderful memories even brighter. Stronger. We’ll stand right here, and she’ll take us to where she is. This is a Spirit Trail we made together. It’s our secret—and now it’s yours, too.” Their smiles shone with boyish excitement.
Jaime’s heart raced. He was about to walk a secret trail with his uncle. Childhood dreams stirred inside him. He clung to the memory of the river and held his magical stone.
Light bloomed for a second, then everything went back to normal. But when Jaime opened his eyes, there was a golden channel of light pouring down through the forest canopy. Leaves, pink and white, shimmered like stained glass overhead. Before them stretched a narrow river, cliffs rose on either side, and at its end, a waterfall roared.
“This is the Secret Falls,” Kris whispered. “It’s a treasure.” His grin widened.
“Maiden, my dear,” Kris said reverently, “my beloved nephew is here to know you.”
The Ancestor of the Forest appeared.
The Ancestor of the Forest, the Maiden, protects the Secret Realm. Kris became good friends with her when he was trying to recover Arendel's magic - the magic in his soul. (Legends of the Secret Realm)
In Keepers, book two, Kris takes Jaime to meet her. Jaime's magic dramatically transforms. His new abilities change everything for his team.
Maiden Falls, 12x12 Acrylic on cradled Birch Panel 2018
Each piece is an original painting—one of a kind, and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Free shipping anywhere in the US.
The Violinist. Ancestor of Music. She appears in Magic Invitation and in the Apprentice Mage books. Sworn to protect the Realm, her music heals.
Hector is an ally of the Magic Wolves. Meet him in Book Two of Legends of the Secret Realm - currently in progress.
Kris took Relle to Earth for her safety when she was six. She stopped the King, and her life was in danger. But she doesn't remember. Those memories were removed to keep her safe.
Now that they've returned, Relle leads her friends from Earth. Even the wizards depend on her ability to speak with the planet's guardians.
Kassara, Keeper. Healer. Spy. 36x48 Acrylic on Canvas
Always at the top of her class on Earth, Kassara didn't believe in magic. She refused to consider anything that wasn't logical. Eldor, Senior Wizard and trainer, finally got through to her...
Relle, Keeper. Intuitive. Leader. 36x36 Acrylic on Canvas
How this project Began
I arrived in the emergency room at 2:00 am. By 9:00, I was getting settled in my hospital bed, sleep-deprived. Bleary-eyed. In pain.
My left hand was the size of a baseball glove. I couldn't move my fingers. My hand was elevated above my heart.
But my brain was working overtime. I kept thinking the same question: what did I overlook about my hands? There simply had to be a reason they were so dramatically brought to my attention.
When I woke hours later, the answer was clear.
I was on my way to study film, write stories, design characters and locations, and I needed a stand-in for actors and sets.
Storyboards. Costumes. People. All of it required one thing.
Drawing.
Part of me didn't believe I could do it. My elementary school attempts at drawings always landed in the "You Suck" pile.
But the belief that I couldn't simply melted away. The teacher's opinion didn't matter—not anymore.
I would do it anyway.
These are the original paintings of that world.
Learning to draw was one of the most difficult goals I ever chose. The skill wasn't hard, but finding people who valued it and could help me develop it...
Thankfully, I had an old standby rule that got me through: Just try. For five minutes. No judgment. It's okay to throw it out. It's okay to like it. It's okay to keep going.
I learned to write novels the same way. A timer is one of the most powerful tools there is—but I digress.
An art school teacher didn't like the way I painted. He sliced through my wet watercolor painting with a razor blade, damaging the paper - then blamed me for his behavior.
No doubt. It was a threat.
When that didn't stop me, he brought the entire class into my school studio and had them compete to see who could do the most damage to my acrylic paintings—under the guise of giving me pointers.
Not one person showed any curiosity about what I was trying to accomplish. They were determined to impress the teacher. The paintings were theirs to destroy.
Those paintings weren't even for his class.
He thought he was teaching me a lesson. Later, when I confided in my trusted professor, she told me that it was a crime.
It felt like one.
Some gallery owners positioned themselves as critics, dishing out contempt and discouragement. They wanted me to quit.
The people who abused their authority ignited both determination—and rebellion.
"Lumiel," the barefoot wizard from the Secret Realm, "understood rebellion personally. It rose from something real—experiences that demanded defiance." Fire Goddess,
This interference, the speed bumps, embodied my villains perfectly. Narcissistic. Psychopathic. Sadistic.
Straight from Central Casting, wouldn't you say?
My friends, coworkers, and favorite professors became the good guys - wizards and heroes.
In the end, it was that promise I made to myself in the hospital all those years ago that kept me going—along with a willingness to keep trying - five minutes at a time.