Barbara (Barb) aka Barb♥T♥USA online, has been dabbling in a variety of art media since childhood. She is best known in the art world for her Cloisonne on Glass artwork sold in galleries and finer gift shops of the Pacific Northwest and Canada throughout the 1970’s and early 80’s. Although she has kept in touch with her artistic roots through her graphic design work over the years, she only recently returned her focus to art as a profession.
Over the years, particularly during her multi-year stint as online media director for the world’s largest ballooning event, Barbara has had the privilege of working with many award-winning professional and amateur photographers. She is also known for her unusual, artistic adaptations of their work.
In her passion to learn all she could about the history of Ballooning, Barbara also discovered exceptional artwork from centuries past. Her goal in rendering those designs in a contemporary context is to adapt them to a variety of media so that they are not only tactile but also affordable to just about anyone who appreciates art.
Barbara, a Native Oregonian, has lived in New Mexico most of her life. She has been involved in ballooning activities for more than 35 years. When Barb returned to Central Oregon for a business project in 2009, she was able to renew many of her artistic connections from her days there in the late 70s. Her new art connections led her to a gallery in Sisters, Oregon, where the owner recognized her from ballooning and asked her to help bring Central Oregon artists online through her gallery. More recently, she has returned to Central New Mexico, where she finds endless inspiration to pursue her art as a full-time profession.