ABOUT THE ARTIST
Barbara Benton is an oil painter based in Oklahoma whose work embodies the spirit of living and loving. A lifelong passionate reader, she considers her paintings visual narratives that celebrate life. Her romantic paintings explore various themes that include motherhood, children, family, past and present day life in Oklahoma, the beauty of nature, and joy found in the everyday.
Born in Enid, Oklahoma, Barbara grew up spending countless hours drawing and creating elaborate stories about the people in her pictures. As an adult, her creativity found an outlet in sewing special occasion clothing and costumes for her children, and making quilts as gifts for loved ones. She was a stay-at-home mom to her three children for thirteen years before returning to school and eventually graduating with a BFA from University of Central Oklahoma in 2022. She began her studies in the field of education with a plan to teach kindergarten, but fell in love with painting along the way. Embracing her passion for artmaking, she changed her major to studio art, and became a professional fine artist.
Using loose brushwork, gestural marks, and vibrant color, Barbara conveys movement and emotion with a sense of freedom and vitality. Her approach to artmaking tends to be intuitive, inspired by the joy and wonder at the beauty found in the world around us.
Since graduating, Barbara has been awarded a place as a finalist in the national Members Only Competition of the Portrait Society of America, has been invited to participate as an emerging artist in the 2024 OKC Festival of the Arts, has exhibited her work in a solo show at the Jane Champlain Art Gallery in Enid, Oklahoma, has been selected to participate in several fundraisers including the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition 12 x 12 Art Fundraiser, and was invited to participate in Oklahoma A+ School’s annual “The Art Auction” fundraiser, benefiting Oklahoma schools.
Barbara is a member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Portrait Society of America, Paseo Arts Association, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, and she is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.