WILDLIFE ARTIST

View all Barbara Banthien pieces

Barbara Banthien worked successfully as a commercial illustrator for twenty years. Art directors, editors, and clients appreciated her meticulous attention to detail and her warm style. Her work introduced Apple Computers’ Macintosh line. She did illustrations for many well known companies such as Hewlett Packard, American Express, Del Monte and Smuckers.

At the height of that career and during a time in which she won several prizes for her work, she decided to quit. For years she had produced high quality work in the hectic world of advertising deadlines, but always taped to the corner of her drawing board would be the beginnings of an owl, goose, or wolf that she would try to get to, time permitting. It finally made more sense to turn her attention to these images, the work she really cared about.

Her first wildlife paintings were selected for exhibition at Birds in Art in Wausau, Wisconsin – one of the most prestigious wildlife shows in the world, and she has exhibited there many times since. She is a member of The Society of Animal Artists and her work now appears in many national exhibitions. Barbara focuses on the birds and animals she sees and knows – ones she can study up close.

Barbara paints nearly every day and paints very slowly, only completing four to six paintings a year. She is most intrigued by the small things such as light on feathers, the turn of a head, patterns in a wing. The slow process over a period of months gives her an opportunity to get deeply involved with each painting.

Because only a few originals are completed each year, Barbara also prints limited edition Giclee prints on the finest archival Somerset Velvet paper. She personally inspects each print for tone and color veracity. Each print comes with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist.