Barbara Downs was born in Virginia, has lived all over the United States, and now makes her home in Santa Cruz, California.

She received her art degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, specializing in lithography with additional studies in printmaking, painting, and drawing.

Barbara also studied and worked as a draftsperson and mechanical designer, and used these skills to help found two electronics startups. Her job brought her to Italy frequently, giving her the opportunity to enjoy the art and culture of that country.

After her years as a printmaker, Barbara focused on drawing for many years, with an interest in line, color and ambiguous narrative. She is now working in oils, encaustics, and metal/mixed-media sculpture.

She has shown nationally, and her work is included in the collection of the University of California, as well as corporate and private collections.