Barbara says she has always been fond of drawing and as a child this was her main pastime. When she was younger she worked mainly from observation, and then later, unconscious mark making led her towards using a combination of observation and intuition, drawing from both external objects and from within herself.

Imagination is also a big factor in Barbara's creative process allowing her to explore her feelings about a subject. Barbara believes this gives her work an extra dimension, for example, in drawing a figure she includes the aspects of what it feels like to be a human and similarly when drawing landscapes she concentrates on the changing weather or the sense of impermanence of particular views. When drawing animals Barbara enjoys exploring them as fellow sentient beings, observing their behaviour as well as their anatomy, looking for similarities and differences to human characteristics.

 

"I'm interested in art, but I'm more interested in life. I regard my work as autobiographical; my current concerns are reflected in the work which I am making. My life informs my art, but also images which appear through the making of work can help me realise where I am in my life and where I might want to go next. Being and feeling connected to a vital essence is something which is important, and I will continue to explore ways to make this so by drawing the things which are around me and allowing a playful approach in my interpretation."