Barbie is originally from Tulsa, OK, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Tulsa. She began her artistic endeavors concentrating on painting in oils and watercolors. This gave her a good foundation to develop her own sense of style and sense of color. After college, she decided to go into commercial art, even though she had fallen in love with etching after taking a few printmaking courses at the university.

She worked for several years as a graphic artist in advertising and sign design. In 1988, she became acquainted with an established printmaker. It didn't take long for her to begin working in the printmaker's studio producing her own etchings. Barbie has since cut several of her own plates and has established herself in the art industry as an in-demand printmaker. She has sold her images all over the US and the world, including Japan, China, South Korea, Spain, Denmark, France, South America, Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom.