About the Artist

About the Artist

Barbara painting plein aire in California’s San Juan Capistrano mission. (Photo Credit Carolyn Dixon.)

Barbara Sweeney graduated from Brown University with a bachelors degree in fine art. Several years in graphic design were followed by a decade in non-profit management. Barbara earned her MBA from The University of Virginia in 1987. She returned to art and photography full time in 2000 taking extended coursework at the Corcoran School of Art. In her work Barbara specializes in botanical subjects in detailed watercolor and fine art photography. Recent landscape work in oils has been very rewarding. She has produced many of her subjects as note cards and prints. Barbara is a member of the Botanical Art Society of the National Capital Region and the American Society of Botanical Artists.

Education

1978 — Brown University, BA, Fine Art. Focus on painting and print making. Served as studio assistant to Arthur Feldman, chairman of the Art Department.

1987 — University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, MBA. Focus on marketing and non-profit management.

1998-2002 — Corcoran College of Art and Design, Leslie Exton, associate professor and chairman of the Department of Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking. Continuing education classes: Botanical Drawing, Botanical Painting in Watercolor, and Still Life Painting in Oil.

2002 — Maryland College of Art and Design. Classes in Creative Digital Imaging, Introduction to Photoshop, and Introduction to Illustrator.

2003 — Corcoran College of Art and Design, Sandra Gobar, Landscape Painting in Oil.

2004 — Brookside Gardens, Margaret Saul, Introduction to Botanical Art.

2005 — "Plein Air" painting with Bonnie Lundy

2006 — The Amlfi Coast of Italy - Painting Trip with Bonnie Lundy

2007- current — Owner of Art Partners Inc. Framing and Art Gallery in Clarksville, MD. Annual shows at the gallery of recent work.

Exhibits

"Bird of Paradise" and "Paper White Bulb" watercolors selected for inclusion in juried exhibition, The Art of Seeing: Botanical Works by Regional Artists at Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, Maryland, July — September 2004.

Graphite drawing "Bull Bay Magnolia" utilized in newspaper advertising for the Spring 2004 continuing education classes at Corcoran College of Art and Design.

Watercolor "Sunflowers" selected for the cover of the Summer 2002 Continuing Education catalogue for the Corcoran College of Art and Design.

Six paintings and drawings selected for the book Things as They Are: Botanical Drawings and Paintings, compiled and published by Leslie Exton, 2001.

BASNCR Show at the Athaneaum, Alexandria, VA

Green Spring Garden BASNCR Botanical Exhibit - November and December 2006

Art-related Activities

Art Organization Memberships:
- Botanical Art Society of the National Capital Region
- American Society of Botanical Artists
- Strathmore Artist Member
- Yellow Barn