Barbara Dahlstedt

Working predominantly in colored pencil, Barbara Dahlstedt enjoys telling a story through portraiture. Based in Goodyear, Arizona, Dahlstedt graduated from Arizona State University in 1981, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. Graphic design was her first career out of university, but Barbara found her true passion for drawing through a twenty-six-year career of teaching high school art.

Applying what she learned in teaching a variety of media, Dahlstedt achieves a realistic style by layering color in a similar manner to the Renaissance oil painters yet maintains the clarity and boldness of a contemporary artist. Texture, color and form are the elements of art she interprets in a medium that allows detail to shine and the viewer to be drawn in to see more.

Most recognized for her interesting characters, Barbara’s work has been shown in many galleries including the T.H. Brennan Gallery (Scottsdale, Arizona), Sugarman Petersen Gallery (Santa Fe, New Mexico), and Brookgreen Gardens Museum (Murrells Inlet South Carolina). Her experience and education have led to winning top awards with the Colored Pencil Society of America and American Women Artists.