 About The Artist
Barbara
was born in Detroit, Michigan and drew her first "portrait" at age three. Her mother was so impressed
that she saved it in an album. "I was always drawing or making something" Barbara recalls,
"including a life size paper poodle when I was eight." The idea came from one of her mother's
"ladies" magazines. The body was constructed from cardboard shirt inserts from the cleaners and white typing
paper that was shredded and curled for the fur. In third grade she remembers being the only student who made her
own costume for the school's Spring program. " I was a stalk of celery and used sheets of crepe paper.
I can't remember the theme of the show but I remember another kid was a stuffed olive."
Her only formal art training was as an architectural student at Lawrence Technical University. "Those
were the days before digital imaging on the computer. Architects had to be able to present their ideas through
renderings and three dimensional models."
After moving
to Savannah, Georgia in 1981, she co-owned a company called She-Crab Designs, that designed and created "low country"
themed gift products. This included designing the packaging as well. Barbara also at this time accepted
commissions for pen and ink drawing and watercolor paintings, all while remodeling houses, doing the rough and fine carpentry
herself.
"When I discovered clay sculpture while taking classes at Armstrong
Atlantic University, it was as though all my past work experience was being used in combination, resulting in a very satisfying
artistic expression."
Barbara works from a studio in her home in
Savannah, Georgia and would be happy to answer any questions you might have concerning her work.
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