The lady with the brushes
A lover first,
an artist second.
I'm Barbara. I paint the animals I'd want to share a couch with. Here's a little bit about how, and why, and what happens when you ask me to paint yours.
I work in oil — mostly on linen, sometimes on panel when I want the surface to stay smooth. Thin glazes over a warm underpainting, worked up over a few weeks. I paint from my own reference photos and, when I can, from life.
What I care about is the personality: the specific tilt of a head, the way a dog’s eyebrow decides what it’s feeling, the exact place a cat loses focus. I don’t trust a portrait that could be anyone.
“The best compliment I get is ‘that’s exactly how he sits.’”
How a commission unfolds
Four steps, one painting that looks like them.
- 01
Send me their photos
Three or four favourites — the silly ones, the serious ones, the one where the light is perfect. I'll pick the reference together with you.
- 02
We talk personality
A short call so I can learn the story. What makes them them? What do you want the painting to remember?
- 03
Oil on linen
I build the painting up in thin glazes over a warm underpainting. You'll get progress photos at the block-in and finish stages.
- 04
Shipped from the studio
Packed by hand, insured, on its way within 4–6 weeks. A little thank-you note is already in the box.
Where the studio is
A small room at the back of a big garden.
The studio is in the north-east United States, full of north-facing light in the morning and west-facing light at the end of the day. Every painting you’ve seen on this site was made there. If you’d like to visit, ask — I’m occasionally around on weekends.
Thinking about a commission?
The conversation starts with a few photos and a note.
I take a handful of commissions a year so I can stay present on each one. Send me the silly photos, the serious photos, and the story — I’ll write back.
Start a commission