Barbara Duvall

Barb Duvall has always been fascinated by faces. Her English Labradors, whose facial expressions “are mirrors that reflect their pure hearts,” are her inspiration. She uses bold line, pure color and unexpected pattern to create vivid, imaginative portraits of animal–human relationships and their connections to the natural world. Working in digital and traditional media, Barb loves the power that technology gives the artist. “I have better fine motor control with a stylus than I do with a paintbrush and it’s taken my art to a whole new level.” Barb said. “I want my art to make people smile.”

Barb’s painting "Loretta and the Buckeroos" won the City of Benicia Art Walks banner contest in 2020, and was used again on the 2023 brochure. Her art has won awards in online galleries, including Light Space & Time, and has been selected for international exhibitions online, in San Francisco shows, and at Arts Benicia. Her bench, Dog Town, part of the city’s public art project, is in front of City Hall.

Barb is a retired classroom teacher and she spent a lifetime teaching art to children of all ages. She created “Creative Crafts and Art Exploration” afterschool workshops, where children created art from found objects that was shown in an exhibition at the Benicia Public Library. She was board secretary for Arts Benicia where she chaired two Next Generation Exhibitions and coordinated Family Art Day events with Youth Arts Education. A past board member of Benicia Community Arts, Barb helped produce Art in the Park, and many other community culture events.

Currently, Barb is the chairman of HQ Gallery on First Street and serves as a board member for the Benicia Downtown Business Alliance. She is a volunteer instructor for Vallejo Community Arts Foundation Children’s Summer Art Camps.