About the Artist
Barbara was born in Charlotte, North Carolina but grew up in a small rural town on Long Island among ranches, farms and horse stables. She had dogs, rabbits and a parakeet while growing up and rode horses at a nearby stable whenever she was not in school. Many years ago her and her late husband owned two thoroughbreds that they raced in Phoenix Arizona, but now she just enjoys painting them. The first painting Barbara submitted to a competition was accepted in a show at the prestigious Cincinnati Art Club in 2002.
Barbara is an artist who paints impressionistic painterly images of nature and the various animals and birds that are seen in the West and Southwest. She completed a three year program in Interior Design which helped influence her sense of design and color. She also studied with American artist John Plumer Ludlum from the Chicago Institute of Art, Sebastian Capella from the Valencia Institute of Art in Spain, and Jeff Watts from the Watts Attelier in Encinitas, California. These mentors along with art workshops from well renowned artists, some at the Scottsdale Artist School, Taos Institute of Arts and Art Institute of Southern California, had a remarkable affect on her work.
Barbara just recently moved from Southern California to Taos New Mexico with her husband and two Tonkinese cats. She has a studio/gallery overlooking the mountains in Arroyo Seco. She is looking forward to painting the lovely New Mexico landscape and the animals and plants of the areas.
Barbara's paintings have been included in numerous national, international and regional juried exhibitions including the Cincinnati Art Club National Exhibit, Carmel Art Festival, Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society, Hilligoss Gallery AIS Summer Invitational, Laguna PleinAir Painters Association, Newport Beach Nautical Museum, Mission San Juan Capistrano "Mission Barracks Gallery", Borrego Springs Invitational, Southern California Artists, Wind River Valley Artists Guild and Meeker Sheep Dog Clssic. She had a couple of shows at The Cottage Gallery on Los Rios Street" in San Juan Capistrano and participated in the Paint San Clemente Plein Air Shows for many years. She was awarded a scholarship from the Scottsdale Artist School to a weeks study with the painter Ron Hicks.
Barbara's recent awards are being a semi-finalist at the Newport Beach Nautical Museum's Poster Contest. She was also awarded the "Award of Distinction" by the American Impressionist Society's 8th National Show by juror C.W. Mundy, and an "Award of Excellence" at the American Impressionist Society's Invitational Summer Salon Show at the prestigious Hilligoss Gallery in Chicago. Barbara is a member of the American Impressionist Society.
