It wasn’t until Barb Clarke experienced that “empty nest” time of her life that she started actively pursuing an interest in art. She credits the community college systems in Kentucky and Ohio for providing the classes she needed to start her career. Barb now paints weekly with a talented group of women in Cincinnati under the tutelage of well-known artist Nancy Nordloh Neville.

For many years Barb has enjoyed gardening and flower arranging. Through her watercolor creations, she now transfers these skills onto paper. A passion for historic preservation has also been one of Barb’s penchants and she is now beginning to extend her painting abilities to include renderings of historic buildings and sites. Her experience has proven the saying “paint what you know and love” to be very true.

Barb’s goal is to achieve a clean, fresh image of her subject that brings pleasure to the viewer.

Through the years Barb has participated in art shows sponsored by the various groups of which she is a member. With the assistance of her very supportive husband, Tom, she has participated in a number of outdoor shows. Currently, Barb is scheduled to hang art in several private galleries. Although Barb paints in a studio at her home, her work can be viewed and is for sale on a permanent basis at the Market Street Bookstore in historic downtown Maysville.

Barb and Tom are lifelong residents of Maysville, KY.

Barb is a member of the Ohio River Valley Art Guild, The Augusta Art Guild, the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society and is an exhibiting member of the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen.