About Barbara
Hello!
I was born in Ontario, Canada. I grew up on a farm in Southwestern Ontario and the need to be out in nature has never left me. I am happiest outside, by the water or in the forest. I am lucky enough to live in a forest, by the beach!
I took a bit of a long route after high school. I earned my Honours Bachelor of Environmental Studies at University of Waterloo (following my interest in all things nature) but found that the office life was not for me. I then followed my heart and attended the Ontario College of Art (now OCADU) in Toronto, Ontario. After art school I needed a steady job as the freelance world was not for me either! I attended the University of Western Ontario and went on to become a teacher of Visual Arts at the high school level in Durham Region, Ontario. I loved my job, but a few years ago it was time. I retired early to pursue my dream of being a full time artist.
I now live in a little beach town in Tiny Township, on Georgian Bay, Ontario.
My work can be found in local galleries and art fairs, and in juried shows across Canada.
I am the Past President of the Ontario Society of Artists (OSA), the oldest art society in all of Canada. I dreamed of achieving membership, and look at me now!
I am also part of an amazing online community of artists called Mastrius. Mastrius connects artists with master artists, and I am actively being mentored by Master Artists Doug Swinton, Gaye Adams, Ardith Goodwin, Julia Veenstra and Shannon Amey.
Curriculum Vitae
b 1961, Canada
Art Education
Ontario College of Art, Illustration and Design, 1984-1987
Mastrius Art Mentorship, 2021-present
Workshops:
2022 Rosebud Plein Air Weekend with Cam Forrester, Rosebud, AB
2022 Charlie Easton Plein Air workshop, Canmore, AB
2023, 2024 Sheila Davis, Ontario
Mastrius Mentorships
Gaye Adams, Doug Swinton, David Boyd, Eli Cedrone, Belinda DelPesco
Art Business Studies: Julia Veenstra, Ardith Goodwin, Veronica Funk, Shannon Amey, Belinda DelPesco, Bob and Kate Burridge
Awards
2020 1st Place Winner, Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts Clerkson Award for Emerging Artists
Associations
Ontario Society of Artists: Current President, elected member since 2021.
Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts, Collingwood
Tiny Art Collective, (founder) Lafontaine, On
Exhibitions
2024 Square Foot Show, Land, Sea and Sky (juried)
2024 Sweet Sixteen Show (juried)
2024 Kash Art on the Water Studio Tour
2024 Bruce Peninsula Studio Tour
2024 The Bay Studio Tour (also cover artist for advertising materials)
2023 Pi Art Squared, Toronto: Online Exhibition of Round Art (juried)
2023 Collective 131, Toronto: Perfect 10 (juried)
2023 “Wild”, Toronto. Bentall Greenoak, Group Show
2023 Diverse Perspectives from the Bay: LE Shore Gallery Group show, Thornbury
2022 Mastrius Online Christmas Show
2022 Square Foot Show December: Julia Veenstra and Friends
2022 Square Foot Show, Paula White Diamond Gallery
2022 Ontario Society of Artists Group Show at Lieutenant Governor’s Suites, Queen’s Park, Toronto
2022 Ontario Society of Artists Old Growth Forests Exhibition, Arts and Letters Club, Toronto
2022 Kingston Square Foot Show
2022 Mastrius Online Show, 100 Days of Summer
2022 Big Ideas Show, Paula White Diamond Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario
2022 Life’s a Beach, Square Foot Show June 2022, Online, International
2022 Northumberland Art Gallery, Ambient Landscapes, OSA Group Show, Coburg, Ontario
2022 Breath.Heart.Spirit. Ontario Society of Artists, Nipissing Regional Curatorial Collective, North Bay, Ontario
2021 Group Show, Leslieville Gallery, Toronto Nov-Dec
2021 Smalls Group Show, Paula White Diamond Gallery, Waterloo, On
2021 Breath.Heart.Spirit. 150 Years of the Ontario Society of Artists, Glynhurst Gallery, Brantford, On
2021 OSA Open Juried Show, Ontario Society of Artists
2021 2020 and 2021 New Members Show, Ontario Society of Artists
2021 Quest TD National Juried Show, Midland, On
2021-present The Gallery at Wendy B’s, Lafontaine
2021, 2022 Tiny Art Collective Studio Show and Sale, Lafontaine, On
2020-2022 The Bay Studio Tour, exhibitor and tour stop Lafontaine, On
2020 Winner, Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts Clerkson Award for Emerging Artists Show
2020-2022 Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts Annual Juried Art Show, Collingwood, On
2019 Ontario Society of Artists Emerging Artists Show (juried)
2018 Shades of Water, Georgina Centre for the Arts, Sutton, Ontario (juried)
2018 Newmarket Group of Artists Exhibition, Southlake Hospital, Newmarket, Ontario (juried)
2017 The Art of Giving, Newmarket United Way, Newmarket, Ontario (juried)
2017 Uxbridge Juried Art Show, Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts, Uxbridge, Ontario (juried)
2017 Art on the Fringe, Artists of Uxbridge Show, Uxbridge, Ontario
Collections
Works held in many Private Collections in Canada.
