Akron, Ohio artist, Barbara Krans Jenkins graduated from Kent State University, 1965 (B.A. Science in Education, Art, K-12). After teaching two years and while raising a family of 4 children, she free-lanced from her home doing calendars, logos, magazine illustrations, pet and home portrait commissions and art shows.

Barbara enjoys working on location, whether it is doing a delicate botanical study or a more elaborate painting, selecting forest floor microcosms from the abundant flora and fauna around her. It is always important to her to capture the delicate ecological balance of her subjects in their environment. She finds her subject matter from her beloved Cuyahoga Valley National Park near home, west, to the Mendocino headlands of Northern California, and east, to the Maine northern coastal waters off Acadia National Park.

Although Barbara works in oil, pastels, watercolor, and even silk on occasion, she prefers the control, blending quality and convenience of colored pencil (watercolor-based, oil-based and/or wax based) pigments, often over fine ink contour lines on a hot press (but lightly toothed), archival, heavy watercolor or Bristol paper. Favorite surfaces are Strathmore 4 ply Illustration Board, Crescent #115 board (with 100% rag, acid free, hot press Strathmore watercolor paper surface), or heavy paper such as Fabriano Uno, among others. Next, as she applies pigments, using alternate layering and burnishing techniques. Some say that as she applies her pigments, her subjects appear to spring to life, right off the surface of the paper!

Jenkins has taught art in the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Akron. She's also traveled extensively, teaching workshops on a variety of Colored Pencil and Mixed Media techniques. She's taught in Texas, California, Wyoming, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Maine, Ohio, and Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada. She has also increased in demand as a speaker to art organizations wherever she goes to share her art experiences.

Currently, her work is represented locally, by The Hudson Fine Art & Framing Co., in Hudson, Ohio, and The Harris Stanton Gallery in Fairlawn, OH. On the West Coast, in Northern California's coastal town of Mendocino, The Lynne Prentice Gallery represents Barbara's work.

Barbara is affiliated with several art groups, among them, the Colored Pencil Society of America; CPSA DC 210 in San Francisco, CPSA DC 103 in Chicago, California; CPSA DC 104 in Detroit, Akron Society of Artists (ASA, Signature member, '94-'96 Secretary), Akron, Ohio; She is also on the Art Gallery Committee of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio.

Barbara finds her art to be a renewing, healing process. As she works, she is transported to a quiet place with God. Time vanishes as she works, pondering in awe, the marvelous works of the Master Creator. She says, "I hope my work imparts my love, passion, and reverent appreciation of our land and its Maker."

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