One-woman show,  February 2000

Awards

1st prize winner, The Artist's Magazine 22nd Annual Competition, featured in December 2005 issue

The Society of Animal Artists, Award of Excellence, Art and the Animal Exhibition, 2003
 

Artisans Gallery, Best in Show Award, Birds, 1996
 

Colorado Bird Observatory, Best Drawing, 1994, Best Painting 1995, Songbirds Show
 

Communication Arts Magazine, Award of Excellence, 1982, 1985, 1992, 1994
 

Society of Illustrators, 1992-1995, Two Gold Medals, Four Silver Medals, Judges Choice Award
 

Special

Cover Artist, "The Politics of Dogs," The Atlantic Magazine 1991

"Old Man’s Room" selected for the poster art announcing the

1996 San Francisco Society of Illustrator’s Show

"Matilija Poppy" selected as the poster announcing the

Oakland Museum’s 1997 California Wildflower show

"Great Horned Owl" Selected for cover, Owls of North America

Juror for Artisan’s Gallery Show, "All Creatures Great and Small," 1998

"October" featured in Best of Wildlife Art, Vol II

Group Exhibitions

• Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Birds in Art, Wausau, WI, 1993, 1997, 2000-05
   
• The Society of Animal Artists, Art and the Animal Annual Exhibition, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005
• Picture This Gallery, Masterpieces in Miniature, Alberta, Canada 2005
• Clark Galleries, IV Centuries of Birds in Paintings, Sculpture and Fine Prints, Stowe, VT, 2004
   
• MacArthur Beach State Park Exhibition, Natural Selections, N. Palm Beach FL, 2000, 2003
   
• Oakland Museum of California, California Species, 1997, 2000, 2003
   
• Pacific Wildlife Galleries, Wolves, 1999; Miniatures Show, 2003
   
• The Sportsman’s Gallery, Art and the Animal Miniatures Show, Atlanta Georgia, 2002
   
• Bennington Center for the Arts, Art of the Animal Kingdom, Bennington, VT, 2000, 2001
   
• Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito, CA, 2001
   
• Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum and John L. Wehle Gallery of Sporting Art Exhibit, 1999
   
• Ambleside Gallery Exhibition, Grosse Point, Michigan, 1998
   
• Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley, CA, Birds, 1996; Watercolors, 1997
   
• Colorado Bird Observatory, Songbirds Show, 1994, 1995

Barbara Banthien’s Gicleé (ghee-clay) or Iris prints are produced one at a time, using water based inks on 100% cotton-rag watercolor paper. The use of this fine archival paper, similar to the surface Barbara uses for her original paintings, helps to create results far superior to those of other printing methods. Gicleé is a French word meaning "liquid spray."

The original painting is first scanned into a computer and color-balanced by a graphic artist. Then a special high-tech printer, called an Iris printer, transfers or "sprays" the image of the original painting directly onto the watercolor paper with literally millions of microscopic dots of color. The resulting prints are rich in saturation and vibrant color. The editions of 500 are carefully numbered and signed by the artist.

With their superior quality, Gicleé prints have gained wide acceptance. The Louvre in Paris uses them to reproduce and display work too fragile or valuable to be put on display normally. Like original watercolors, Gliceé prints must be protected from sunlight and fluorescent lighting. It is important to frame them under UV protective glass or plexiglass.