Barbara Berry » About the Artist

Barbara Berry - Biography

Sometimes I seek to capture a mood in my artwork; other times I strive to document the color, light, and beauty compelling my heart to sing. I am especially drawn to the way morning light glows through delicate flower petals or filters through a forest stream. To translate these fleeting moments onto the canvas, I work in soft pastels and oils, allowing each medium to express the atmosphere, luminosity, and emotion I experience in nature.

My artistic journey has led me along a winding road, reigniting my passion for painting. Growing up, I was surrounded by nature and works of art. I remember when my father nurtured baby falcons, and through his compassionate teaching, I learned how to care for lost or injured ducklings and crows discovered in the woods. The artistry of my mother, my earliest mentor, deeply influenced my creative spirit. I would watch as she sketched portraits of the neighbor’s children, and our home was always filled with realist and impressionist drawings and paintings of rare falcons, landscapes, and portraits.

In 5th grade, my school principal became my first collector when he bought a watercolor I’d painted for a school contest. I knew I wanted to keep painting with color, however I ended up painting with song. I studied classical voice in college, which led to a career singing lead lyric roles in German opera houses.
Eventually, I moved back home to the U.S. to focus on raising my kids. Once they started their own journeys in school, I decided to dive back into art. I’ve since pursued a self-guided art education, taking classes at the Wayne Art Center and joining private workshops with artists across the country.

My artistic experiences are a mosaic that combines the natural world, music, and a dedication to honing my craft. I invite viewers into a realm where my brushstrokes illuminate the wonders that surround us.

"The artist shows impressive control, capturing the image with economy and restraint, laying down pastel in a single stroke and trusting it is no small feat, and it reflects a genuine mastery of the medium." -Joe Sweeney, juror, 2026 Philadelphia Pastel Society Signature Show about Barbara's award winning pastel painting.

I teach pastel painting at The Wayne Art Center, Wayne PA

Professional affiliations:

Signature member of the Pastel Society of America

Signature member Philadelphia Pastel Society

Juried associate member American Impressionist Society

Master Circle, International Association of Pastel Societies

Signature member Maryland Pastel Society

Signature member The Philadelphia Watercolor Society

Juried associate member National Oil and Acrylic Society

Juried associate member Oil Painters of America

Recent honors:

* Modern Impressionist Salon, top 20 July/August 2026, top 40 May/June

* Dakota Pastel Competition, third quarter 2026, 4th place

* 16th Annual Salon Art Prize competition -Best Plein Air Pastel

* Dakota Pastel Competition, second quarter 2026, honorable mention

* portrait included in the National Oil and Acrylic Painters' Society 2026 International Online Show

* portrait included in the American Impressionist Society's 2026 Small Works Show

* Silver Brush Award and Legion Paper Award, Wayne Plein Air Festival 2026, juror Mark Boedges

* Finalist, BoldBrush Painting competition -4/2026- juror Michael John Ashcroft

* Best in Show, Philadelphia Pastel Society's Signature Members Show 2026

* Merit Award, Art and Color 365 2026

* Uart Award, Philadelphia Pastel Society's 2025 National Exhibition Visions in Pastel

* PleinAir Salon Competition, Best Animals and Birds category Award 2022

* Third Place award, Philadelphia Pastel Society’s 2nd National Open Juried Exhibition 2023

* First Place Dakota Art Pastels Competition 2022

* Honorable Mention Pastel 100 Competition 2022

* Award of Excellence NOAPS Best of America Small Works 2022 National Juried Exhibition

* First Award for Excellence in Works on Paper -117th Annual International Exhibition of Works on Paper -Philadelphia Watercolor Society

* Best in Show, Wayne Art Center Student Works Exhibition

* Golden Award of Excellence, Connecticut Pastel Society Juried Members Exhibition 2016, "Purely Pastel"

* First Place, Expressions in Pastel, Maryland Pastel Society

* Outstanding Pastel Award, BoldBrush Painting Competition

* Honorable Mention, Dakota Pastel 5th Annual Soft Pastel Competition 2024

* Silver Brush Award, Wayne Plein Air 2024

* Blick Art Award -May 2023 Wayne Plein Air Festival

* Finalist in the October 2022 Plein Air Salon -three paintings

* Merit Award 2022 IAPS Juried PastelWorld Exhibition - 40th Open Division

* Great American Pastel Award, 29th Annual Renaissance in Pastel Exhibition -CPS

* JFM Enterprises Frames Award -Wayne Plein Air Festival 2022

* Honorable Mention Dakota Pastel contest 4th quarter 2021

* Honorable mention Dakota Pastel contest 3rd quarter 2021

* Special Merit, light Space Time -figurative 2021

* Mary K. McGee Memorial Award for Excellence in Pastel in the 120th International Exhibition of Works on Paper 2020

* Honorable mention in the 21st Annual Pastel 100 Competition 2019

* People's Choice award -on location artists at the Brandywine 2018

* Best in Show, Wayne Art Center Members Exhibition

* Vanishing landscape award, juror Crystall Moll, Harford County Plein Air

* Honorable Mention International juried Fine Art Competition on-line 2019 “Drawing 2”

* 2019 Sourcetek Award, 13th Annual Wayne Plein Air Festival 2019

* Maryland Pastel Society Award, 25th annual national juried Renaissance in Pastel Show, jurors Aline Ordman. Lyn Asselta and Christine Swann.

* Architecture in a Landscape Award, On Location Artists at the Brandywine 2018

* Jack Richeson & Co. Award, juror John Cosby, Wayne Plein Air 2018

* Honorable Mention Winner 2017 Artists Magazine All-Media Online Competition

* work published in North Light Shop's Strokes of Genius 9 -a collection of 140 contemporary drawings

* Art Muse Contest Finalist September 2017- Marc Hanson, juror

* Finalist June 2017 Art Muse Contest -Stephanie Birdsall, juror

* Outstanding Pastel Award , BoldBrush Painting Competition 2016

* Pastel Society of New Mexico Award, Pastel Society of the West Coast's 2016 "Pastels USA"

* Finalist, Emerging Artist Category, Art Muse Contest July 2016

* Honorable mention, 12th Annual Mile High International Pastel Exhibition 2016

* Mary K. McGee Memorial Award for Excellence in Pastel, Philadelphia Watercolor Society 114^th Anniversary Exhibition

* Finalist, Emerging Artist Category, Art Muse Contest, 2016

* Best in Show, Wayne Art Center Members Exhibition 2015

* Donnie Dingman Memorial Award, Shades of Pastel National Exhibition 2015

* Finalist, Gallery Representation Award Competition, Art Muse Contest 2016 -Jack Meier Gallery

* Norristown Art League Award, Wayne Art Center Members Exhibition 2012

* several paintings selected as part of the FAV15% in the BoldBrush painting competition

Exhibits:

Philadelphia Pastel Society “Visions in Pastel” 2026 National Open Juried Exhibition

Pastel Society of America Exhibition 2026, Enduring Brilliance

American Impressionist Society's 2026 Small Works Show

National Oil and Acrylic Painters' Society 2026 International Online Show

American Impressionist Society Annual Small Works Showcase 2026

National Oil and Acrylic Society's Associate Member Online 2025

Visions in Pastel, Philadelphia Pastel Society's National Exhibition 2025

Wayne Art Center Faculty Show and Wayne Art Center Members Show 2025

Rhythm and Light, a solo exhibition of Barbara Berry's artwork 2025

Real Friends -Friends of Realist Art League 2025

The Brinton Museum's Small Works Show 2024

The Figure: Portraiture and Narrative, a juried exhibition 2024, Wayne Art Center

Visions in Pastel -Philadelphia Pastel Society's National Juried Exhibition 2024

American Impressionist Society 4th Annual Associate Member Online Exhibition 2024

International Association Pastel Societies 2024 PastelWorld Exhibition.

Philadelphia Pastel Society's 2nd National Open Juried Exhibition 2023

Everyday Wonders -solo show, Barbara Berry's artwork, Brinton Museum, Big Horn WY 2023

Wayne Plein Air Festival 2023

Philadelphia Pastel Society's 2023 Online Members Exhibition

American Impressionist Society Juried Online Member Exhibition 2022

Oil Painters of America Online Showcase 2022

25th Annual Pastel 100 2023

Annual International Exhibition of Works on Paper 2022

Philadelphia Pastel Society's 1st National Juried Exhibition 2022

*CPS, 29th Annual Renaissance in Pastel Exhibition

NOAPS 2022 SPRING INTERNATIONAL ONLINE Exhibit

NOAPS 2022 Best of America Small Works Exhibit

40th Open Division of the IAPS PastelWorld Exhibition 2022

2nd Annual AIS Associate Member Online Exhibition 2022

NOAPS Best of America Small Works National Juried Exhibition 2022

'Make Your Mark' International Exhibition- Southeastern Pastel Society

Philadelphia Pastel Society's Members' Exhibition 2022

The Painters Alliance Premiere- A Visual Harmonization

IAPS 39th Open Division 2021 Webshow

Philadelphia Water Color Society's 121st Anniversary International Exhibition of Works on Paper 2021

Faculty Exhibit Wayne Art Center 2021

Pure Color 5th Annual International Online Exhibition of Pastel Paintings 2021

Pastel Society of the West Coast Members Only Show 2021

Philadelphia Pastel Society’s 2nd annual members exhibit

Southwest Art Magazine online article, "Welcoming Spring: Floral Paintings to Collect" April 2021`

Farm to Table Plein Air -landartevents- 2020

Wayne Plein Air Festival 2020
Two Berrys - a mother and daughter art show, Sage Gallery, Sheridan Wyoming

Sage Gallery’s 10th Annual National Juried Exhibition 2020

Pastel Society of the West Coast Online Show 2020

Plein Air Showcase 2019 -Sage Community Arts gallery, Sheridan WY

Under the floral spell" Gallery 222

Barbara Berry at Beaumont in Bryn Mawr Gallery

Renaissance in Pastel 2018 National Juried Exhibition

*Palette to Palate -A Tasting Art Show, September 2018

On Location Artists at the Brandywine 2018

Uart online pastel competition show 2018

12th Annual Wayne Plein Air Festival 2018

Malvern Plein Air 2018

2018 14th Annual Mile High National Pastel Exhibition

Uart 2018 Online Pastel Competition

On location: Artists at the Brandywine 2018

The Southeastern Pastel Society 18th International Juried Exhibition 2018

Wayne Art Center’s 2017 Fall Members Juried Exhibition

Renaissance in Pastel 24th Annual National juried exhibition 2017

Pastels USA 31st Annual International Open Exhibition -PSWC (2017)

Shades of Pastel 2017 -Maryland Pastel Society's National Juried Exhibition

117th Anniversary International Exhibition of Works on Paper 2017 by Philadelphia Water Color Society

IAPS 30th Juried Pastel World Exhibition 2017

Purely Pastel: 2017 Connecticut Pastel Society Juried Exhibition

2017 Pastel Society of the West Coast Online Members juried show

Gallery 222, 222 East King Street, Malvern, PA 19355 11/16/16-12/17/16

29th IAPS Juried Exhibition - The 2016 Webshow

23rd Annual Renaissance in Pastel 2016 Exhibition, Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, Connecticut

Pastels USA International Exhibition, Art Center Morro Bay in Morro Bay, CA

North Light Books’ 2016 drawing competition Strokes of Genius 9: Creative Discoveries!

UArt 2016 Online Pastel Competition

Colorado Pastel Society's 12th Annual Mile High International Pastel Exhibition, Vida Ellison Gallery, Denver, Colorado

Purely Pastel 2016 Juried Member Exhibition, Connecticut Pastel Society -Goodman Gallery, Lyme Art Association

For Pastels Only on Cape Cod 2016 -Cultural Center of Cape Cod

EXPRESSIONS IN PASTEL April 1st, 2016 - Art League of Ocean City

Philadelphia Watercolor Society 2016 Member Exhibit

The Pastel Society of the West Coast Online Membership Exhibition 2016

the Shades of Pastel 2015 juried National Exhibition - Washington DC

Members juried Exhibition 2015 Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA

first UART online exhibition 2015, -http://uartpastelpaper.com/gallery

Philadelphia Watercolor Society Online Member Exhibit, -online at http://www.pwcsociety.org/2015-Member-Exhibition

114th Anniversary International Exhibition of Works on Paper, Philadelphia Watercolor Society, Wallingford, PA

Members juried Exhibition Wayne Art Center, Wayne PA 2013

Members juried Exhibition Wayne Art Center 2012

Members juried Exhibition Wayne Art Center 2011

Commissioned Portrait Information

Ms. Berry will be happy to paint your portrait in your favorite outfit and in your favorite place.

A lengthy sitting is not necessary as was the custom. 20 to 30 digital photos will be taken of the subject to record and explore different locations, attire, angles, expressions and settings. The client and Barbara will decide on the best pose for the composition. A non-refundable payment of 1/3 of the fee will be due at this time.

In exceptional circumstances, such as distance, the artist will accept working from a photograph taken and sent by the client.

Ms. Berry will keep the client informed throughout the progression of the painting and will send a digital photo of the progress of the painting for the client’s approval.

Another non-refundable payment of 1/3 of the fee will be due once the client’s approval is given and the artist will proceed with the pastel portrait.

Once completed the portrait will be hand delivered, if local, or shipped.

All materials used will be of archival quality, and the client can expect a finished portrait in 4-8 weeks after approval of the portrait.

Ms. Berry will be happy to assist in framing choices.

Prices vary with size and number of people in the painting

Prices do not include framing, shipping or travel expenses.
Framing can be provided by the artist for an additional fee.

Barbara Berry - Biography