About the Artist

Armstrong SBD Arts is the online gallery home for the artworks of Barbara Armstrong.

BARBARA ARMSTRONG creates both 2D and 3D artworks. 

I am a watermedia artist working in both watercolors and acrylics. I also create images using mixed media including acrylic and alcohol paint pens, permanent markers, gel pens and highlighters, colored pencils, glitter pens, pastels, and fabric paints and puff paints. Supports include canvas, watercolor paper, and any available surface that accepts and holds the medium at hand ranging from cardstock to fabric to cardboard. I have also done painted clothing. I also work in a wide variety of non-traditional painting materials including jeweler's wire, and permanent markers, pigment pens, collage, rubbings, and in found materials and some fabrics.

I started doing crochet yarn "paintings" and sculptures around 2016. I am an active member of the Dallas Yarn Bombers and continue to do occasional crochet and other needlework pieces. Craft-based projects include Dia de los Muertos light sets, astrological dragon cards and "portraits" and other images on greeting cards and assorted other craft process and decorative artworks. 

I have designed both props and sets for live theater productions.  I have also designed and constructed costumes for theater. Barbara designs and creates costume pieces and props for Dean's body painting and makeup character creations, and joined his team, Dallas Makeup Crewe, in body painting projects. She created the costume for Dean's Yeti Amazon body painting project in Dec. 2015, and shared painting and props responsibilities for both the Genie project and the Woodland Sprite project. The Dallas Makeup Crewe is now closed, having lost our leader in 2025.

Barbara's artworks series (all ongoing) include:

ARTIST TRADING CARDS

My current art works are miniatures. Artworks that are 2.5 x 3.5 inches in size. I am part of an international group that trade these ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) among ourselves and sometimes at live meet ups. None are pictured here at this time.

I am also an active member of the Dallas Yarn Bombers. We created and install crochet and knitted artworks in outdoor, mostly, locations. You could affectionately say, we put sweaters on trees and turn benches and bicycle racks into monsters. Pictures to come. You can find us on Facebook and Instagram. 

CROCHET FROM THE EDGE and FLEUR DU MAL series - These works combine crochet, and other needlework and yarn based processes and painting, drawing, and digital printing with a decidedly pop art point of view on the contemporary political and social world. Crochet From The Edge includes the crochet paintings and sculptures that more general, not specifically atomic bomb cloud based images. 

LINES and LIFELINES are series of 2D/3D mixed media works that combine 2D drawing/painting with 3D relief sculpture wire work and readymade objects. LIFELINES pieces are abstract and figurative, while LINES are nonrepresentational. 

CLOUD DREAMING - photo-realistic cloud images with a imaginative twist painted in acrylics on canvas. These pieces are based on photographs taken by the artist.

DRAGON'S GARDEN - Watercolor and one pastel paintings focusing on dragons in the garden and in astrology mostly in watercolors. The flowers depicted are near-botanical quality.

CITY REFLECTIONS - abstract cityscapes painted in acrylic on gesso-coated paper. Many are based on photograph and observations of Dallas between 1998 and 2010.

STILL LIFE and FLORALS - both representational and abstract florals and still life images in a variety of media.

MISCELLANY - greeting cards based on dragons, astrology, craft related works, and all artworks not fitting one of the series above. 

Vita:      Barbara Armstrong

BA in Literature (Shakespeare) with a minor in Theatrical Design

BFA in Painting (Acrylics and WC)

MA in HUMA/Aesthetic Studies

1996 - 2023 Adjunct professor in Art Department teaching Art Appreciation and 2D and 3D Design beginning sculpture, and watercolor painting.for El Centro College - now Dallas College El Centro Campus.

Retired from teaching in 2023.

Continuing Activities 2022>>

Dallas Yarn Bombers - active maker and installations.

Artist Trading Cards, a private group on Facebook trading 2.5 x 3.5 inch artworks among worldwide artists.

Art Markets and Shows by announcement.

Dean Armstrong

Made his last curtain call in July of 2025.

He left us a wealth of support, enthusiasm and inspiration in all our artistic pursuits.