Barb Whittenburg

As a lifetime Illinoisan raised in a rural area, Barb was surrounded by old barns, fields, streams, and wooded areas. In this setting, she gained an appreciation for the natural world and preferred this type of art.

Barb’s formal art education was somewhat sparse, having taken a few art classes at Illinois Central College and some classes taught by prominent artists in the Peoria area. She had been drawing for most of her life, but not fully engaged in art until after retirement in 2008.

Most notably Pat Dale was a big influence in shaping her interest in landscapes. Barb also enrolled in several online classes working in pastel pencil, colored pencil, watercolor, line and wash, and graphite through Udemy Art and the Colin Bradley School of Art.

Barb’s preference was watercolor, but later in her artistic career she became greatly interested in line and wash as it affords a great deal of attention to detail and gives the contrast between ink and watercolors that Barb found very satisfying.

Her most preferred subjects were landscapes, seascapes, and architectural renderings.

Artistically, she leaned toward realism and attempted to capture the details of photos or in nature, depicting them accurately. It was her goal to capture the subject so completely that the viewers could immerse themselves in the artwork.

In 2018 Barb joined the Colored Pencil Expressions group followed by membership in the Illinois Art League and the Prairieland Watermedia Society, honing her knowledge and skills as an artist. In Barb’s words: “More importantly, I have become associated with a wonderful group of artists and count many as my new friends. They are a very welcoming and gracious group of artists.”

.