Barbara is a landscape painter with a sense of place. She takes a scene outdoors - a place she knows - and paints it on canvas. While she enjoys many subjects, her passion is landscape, the Taos area her inspiration.
A graduate of the University of Colorado with a distributive major including Art/Art History, Barbara has lived in Taos over twenty years. She has been involved in art, both in painting and in volunteering for children’s programs at the Millicent Rogers Museum and the Taos Institute of Arts. Having taken courses with Taos icons Ray Vinella, Don Ward, Chris Morel and Kathleen Smith, her focus is oil and pastel. She paints both ‘en plein air’ and in her studio.
Artist Statement
The high desert of Taos, the mountains and mesas of this spiritual place in the world, hold a special place in my heart. The mesas remind me of my childhood growing up in Amarillo, Texas and the striking Rio Grande Gorge is reminiscent of the Palo Duro Canyon south of Amarillo. I am a landscape painter and I like to paint ‘en plein air’ places that I’m drawn to in Taos and Northern New Mexico. Other subjects I enjoy painting are animals and still lifes.
After graduating from the University of Colorado with a degree focused on studio art and art history - where I met my husband Jack - we spent a year studying in France, both receiving degrees in French Language and Culture from the University of Grenoble. Jack’s profession took us to Chicago and New York City where our daughter and son were born, respectively. Our family moved to Dallas and were then transferred to London for five years where we were fortunate to experience travel throughout Europe, visiting historical sites and wonderful museums including two important retrospectives at the Tate – Constable and Turner.
Returning to Dallas, I served as a docent at the Dallas Museum of Art after which I was hired as Coordinator of Docent Programs and Teaching Resources and served on staff for five years before moving to Taos.
A resident of Taos for over 22 years, I have been actively involved in art, both in painting and volunteering in art organizations. My passion is oil and pastel. I have taken classes and workshops with Taos Icons Ray Vinella, Don Ward, Chris Morel and Kathleen Smith. Volunteering for 12 years at Millicent Rogers Museum of Northern New Mexico, I headed up projects for children’s programs and wrote a project for teachers for the website. I served on the Museum’s Board of Trustees and on the Executive Committee. In addition I initiated a children’s summer program for the Taos Institute of Arts.
