Barbara began working with clay in 1967 as an Art and Biology student at U.C. Santa Barbara where she earned her BA degree. In 1973 she moved to Lake County and studied with Master Potter Dean Strawn for 20 years. Currently she is a part-time Ceramics instructor for Mendocino College, and works out of her home studio in Kelseyville, CA. Over the years her focus has been on "form", creating vessels both wheel-thrown and handbuilt, as well as sculpture. More recently she has shifted attention to the "surface" with her geometric designs: " I draw curvilinear, rectilinear and/or triangular lines which move on top of each other forming a variety of shapes. These I emphasize with contrasting values, colors, and/or textures. Creating with clay is an opportunity to express and share my ideal of vitality and harmony."

Firing
Most work is fired to cone 10-11 in a gas fueled reduction atmosphere. Occasionally projects are cone 5 oxidation fired in an electric kiln or Raku fired.