Barbara Hughes studied drawing and painting from the time she was 7 years old and took instruction, privately, during her teens and through high school.
She received her B.A. from Indiana University, Bloomington, in 1975 with majors in Sociology and Political Science. Minor area of interest and study was International Law.
Barbara began a career in college publishing with McGraw-Hill, in August 1975, and worked with 3 other companies in the industry for almost 9 years. She attended the Corcoran School of Art and Maryland Hall for the Arts, studying printmaking, drawing and painting during that time. Her emphasis was on oil painting, printmaking and serigraphy.
Hughes traveled extensively in England, France, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Senegal, Jamaica, Mexico and throughout the continental US. Many of the places she experienced during her travels have made their way into her paintings.