Barbara Gibson
A 1981 graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a Masters of Fine Art, Barbara Gibson has enjoyed a career that has spanned more than 35 years. Experienced in ceramics, printmaking, sculpture, and welding, she originally made her living as a clay artist, traveling the country doing fine art shows and delivering art to many galleries.

Though never bored with clay, Barbara feels that, at times, clay became bored with her as she always pushed it to its limits; “It was through clay I learned that I was a process person. The more steps to the creation, the more passion I had for it.” She has many forms of firing. She used her welding knowledge to create dyes for extruders, which led to the formation of the large wall pieces she built.

The main element in Barbara’s work has always been process. Throughout her varied artistic journey, she learned that printmaking allows her to explore that element through the technique of relief prints. While Barbara begins with cutting and designing forms, inking and arranging them onto a surface place, then running them through a press, she later goes back into the print to draw lines, enhance some areas with gold leaf, and incorporate some metal pieces, creating movement and texture. This visible process is what inspires her as an artist.