about the artist

Barbara King is a mosaic artist working in Central Texas. Possessing a love of texture and the creative process, she works in natural stone, smalti, art glass, and found objects. From her studio amongst a canopy of live oaks, she pursues studio work, commissions, and website sales.

                                                   artist’s statement

Throughout my life, I have been a collector and an appreciator - of things colored, things intriguing, things shapely.  During childhood, this passion revealed itself in collecting the things of nature; rocks and fossils, seed pods and leaves, the perfect sage-colored twig tinged with splotches of orange lichen.  As a young adult, my passion turned to collecting equations and formulae which I wove into a career in the world of engineering.  But always that right-brained side dwelt just beneath the surface; from time to time revealing itself in a bit of calligraphy, some made object, or an arrangement of seashells discovered on the shore. 

a move from the big city to the rural Texas Hill Country ignited the creative spark in the medium of mosaic.  the mosaic process fits me like a second skin; Within it, I enjoy the joyful freedom to collect, design, plan, and execute.  in a landscape of color and form, materials and adhesives, I revel in the tactile nature of the medium.

make art | do good

I gain personal satisfaction creating works of art that excite and inspire. I also love to support worthy causes.  When you purchase a work of art from otg, all proceeds are donated to causes benefiting children and families in need. 

shows | training | affiliations

  • Art, Architecture, & Theology | Panchok | 2006

  • Introduction to Mosaic | Lopez | 2008

  • Tour of the Vatican Mosaic Studio | 2009

  • Mosaic Design Basics: Color, Value, & Andamento | Giannotti | 2009

  • Breaking Loose | Wozniak | 2010

  • Mosaic As a Business | Hanansen | 2010

  • The Elements of Design for 2D Mosaics | Chinn | 2011

  • Materials, Adhesives, & Substrates | King | 2011

  • Studio Arte del Mosaico Intensive | Luciana Notturni, Ravenna | 2014

  • Introduction to Religious Art | Ochoa | 2015

  • Coop. Artisanale El Badia des Zelligeurs, Workshop | Marrakesh | 2016

  • Art-Journaling | Hieb | 2017

  • Folk Fibers Natural Dyeing Workshop | Ambrose | 2017

  • Wright Society Virtual Summit | 2017

  • Watercolor Workshop | McElwaine | 2019

  • Bend, Fold, & Undulate | Shapiro | 2019

  • one-woman charity show | the frame corner gallery | 2020

  • exploring the creative process | sonnenberg | 2021

  • Marriage of tesserae & sculptural substrates | hepworth | 2021

  • color in mosaic | belikova | 2024

  • andamento workshop | maccini & wewer | 2024

  • fuga | belikova | 2025

  • andamento lecture | wewer | 2026

  • member society of american mosaic artists | 2008 - present

  • member austin mosaic guild | 2021 - present

  • member contemporary mosaic art association | 2022 - present

  • volunteer service in the arts

  • Donation | "Come Holy Spirit" permanent Installation | Eagle's Wings Retreat Center | 2011

  • Instructor, mosaic art | AFA Academy | 2012 - 2015

  • art & interiors Coordinator, Church construction | St. John the Evangelist church | 2014 - 2015

  • Donation | "Taste and See" permanent Installation | Dominican Sisters of Mary | 2016

  • Contributing author, Groutline eJournal | "When Faith Meets Art" | 2016

  • Instructor/Coordinator, summer art camp | Boys & Girls Club | 2017 - 2019

  • Instructor, Introduction to Mosaic | Endeavor University | 2018

  • art & interiors coordinator, building construction | the helping center | 2020

  • donation | “parable of the fishes and loaves” permanent installation | the helping center | 2020

  • donation | “abundance” permanent installation | the helping center | 2020

  • volunteer art instructor | phoenix center | 2019 - 2021

  • Art & interiors coordinator, building construction | st. john education center | 2022

  • donation | entryway logo | phoenix center | 2023

  • donation | “deep in the heart of Texas” | the helping center | 2023

  • donation | “fifth station” | St. John the evangelist church | 2025

  • donation | “Living water pendant” | St. bartholomew church, katy | 2026

  • raised over $46K for charity through sales or donations of art

off the grid ... my happy place