Barbara became a botanical artist in 1995 after purchasing Dr Shirley Sherwood’s book, "Contemporary Botanical Artists". She has since taken part in many exhibitions in the UK and abroad, and won many awards. She took inspiration from many private and public gardens in England and abroad. Whilst she painted tulips, irises, poppies and tree peonies from her London garden; pine cones, ornamental gourds, proteas' and banksias' seedheads came from her travels around the world.
In 2004 she embarked on a nine year magnolia project. The book "Magnolias in Art & Cultivation" contains around 150 paintings of over one hundred species, hybrids and cultivars of magnolias.
The text is written by Jim Gardiner and Stephen A. Sponberg provided the botanical descriptions. To accompany the book, Barbara is is having an exhibition of 35 magnolia paintings at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery in the Kew Royal Botanical Garden.