Barbara began her creative adventures as a 2-D fine artist, moving on to achieve a BFA degree in Graphic Design from the UofW before she discovered ceramics in 2000. On a whim she signed up for a pottery class at Ballard Community Center. It only took one class to be bitten by the pottery bug.
Humble beginnings weren't so humble. Her first "studio", although merely a frame and tarp structure, featured a full size high-fire updraft propane kiln in an undersized back yard of her then Queen Anne duplex. She quickly outgrew hauling 20 gal propane tanks, so, in went a permanent 100 gal propane tank to run it, dubbed "the lozenge".
In 2003 she moved into her Montlake home, 100 Gal tank tucked under her arm and ready to graduate
to a more permanent facility. Within her first 2 years she became well known for her playful and near-animated
lidded vessels. 
Around year three she felt ready to start
sharing her skills and experiment with mixing her studio
work and teaching. Beginning with intimate instructional sessions, she loved the format and so did her students.
Today she still teaches in small, intimate groups out of a conviction to maintain that same level of one-on-one
availability and allows room for the joy of the craft and process to come through easily.
Where simple elegance is called for, Barbara's style and approach masterfully brings forward the essential beauty
of the medium. To conjure the unusual she focuses on achieving a "living" state. 
Her art and design background
and playful persona inform her fascination with vibrant shape, color and texture.
Today Barbara is a well known, beloved, and active presence in the Seattle arts community. She continues to conduct her uniquely successful classes while producing both beautiful functional-ware and captivating ceramic sculpture.
Talented Friends:
- Plaid Tractor -graphic design (designed/developed this site!)
- Jennevieve Schlemmer -mosaics, concrete
- Diane Kappa -designer & painter, in silk
- Kristin Loffer Theiss -visual artist
- Sylvia Boulware -watercolors
- Jennifer Stuller -writer
- Todd Karam -painting & design
- Heidi Wastweet -bronze artist
- Sharyn November -writing, editing
- Diane Macrae -handbag designer
- Turquoise Creative -handmade notecards
- Lisa Pettit Designs -prints & cards
- Blenko Glass Museum -My friend Bill Agle is the founder and curator!
Ceramic Artists & Potters:
- Ken Turner Pottery -huge, beautiful vessels
- Vicki Hardin -raku and pit fired ceramics
- John Tilton -vessels with unique glazes
Creative Resources:
- Artist Trust -An excellent resource for Washington artists
- Art Dish -Northwest forum on visual art
- SeattleArtists.com - Original Local Art
- Projekt30 Online Art Gallery
- Pacific Paper Tube -great tubes for shipping & wrapping my Lidded Vessels
- Photo Tech, Inc. -Varitone backdrops for photographing my Lidded Vessels
- PsPrint.com -They print my postcards
Ceramic Resources:
- Clayworks, Seattle -Co-op of Ceramic Artists
- Big Ceramic Art Store -everything ceramic!
- Clay Art Center -Tacoma, WA
- Seattle Pottery Supply -Seattle
- Georgies -Portland, OR
- potteryfinder.com - Ceramic Artists Worldwide
- PotterySites.biz -Finding pottery sites
Ceramic associations:
Please contact me to schedule a studio visit or inquire about commissions. Also, any feedback about the work you see, or the site itself would be most appreciated!
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