Joanne Barby

Artist Joanne Barby is a mother to three children, currently living and working on the South Coast of New South Wales in Australia.

Her artwork has been exhibited in many group shows, galleries and private collections all over the world. She has also placed well in many competitions; including best artwork in the “Flora or Fauna” category and also the overall “People’s Choice Award” at a National Pastel exhibition.

Joanne says “I’m an artist who has never considered myself very good at drawing, as I don’t see the world in black and white lines.  Finding PanPastel Colors helps me block in what I “see” in colour, lines can be added later, once I have my “colour map” developed in PanPastel.  I’ve found that a lot of my students also see like me and that’s why my PanPastel Workshops have been so successful.

PanPastel has changed my life and I’m not just saying that!  It is a perfect fit for the way I see the world and how I apply color to paper, plus it has literally opened up a world of possibilities to me!”

About her working technique, Joanne explains: “I begin by blocking in a thin layer of PanPastel first, then I build on the layers of PanPastel which gives me depth of color and tones. Finally, I use a touch of soft pastel stick, pastel pencil or charcoal pencils for the details.  I work in A3 size or bigger.  I particularly love the fine PanPastel Pearl Mediums for blending the colours together, especially for backgrounds.”

Joanne’s inspiration comes from truly “seeing” the beauty of life that surrounds us, from the everyday object in a still life with its colours, shapes and shadows. To the characters and personalities of some of the wildlife and birds she paints. Creating a picture is a very personal and somewhat emotional journey for her; she thinks this is why she’s drawn to birds and wildlife. “My pictures reflect my mood, do I want to be brash and in your face, cheeky and full of character, or shy, soft and delicate?”

Joanne regularly shares her work and her process on social media. Joanne shares her artwork and process on Facebook and Instagram. Her work has been featured on many blogs (including PanPastel’s PaintDrawBlend.), magazines and was represented in the 2013 Bespoke Calendar of emerging artists. Her work is also featured in a “Feathers of Inspiration” book, by “Out of Step Books”.

She also teaches PanPastel workshops all over Australia and overseas. For further details on Joanne’s workshops: email