Elizabeth has lived in Cairns, North Queensland, since 1990.
Her first solo exhibition ‘A Shore Thing’, held in the Cairns Regional Art Gallery in 1999.
A second solo exhibition ‘Seeing Secrets’ took place in May 2003, in the Cairns Regional Gallery. A review by Karen van Harskamp, the Cairns Post May 29 2003, states ” A true aficionado of the human figure, Barden’s works are compelling, classically formed studies of the person as portrait complemented by a wide range of treatments beyond the usual staged affair….Barden has a talent for allowing her subject to find their own comfort zone, so the plastic grin is pleasantly absent”.
As well as private commissions, Elizabeth’s subjects have included Jeff McMullen,Lisa Curry-Kenny- Olympic Swimmer and business woman, the late Sir Sydney Williams, Dawn Casey – Director of the National Museum of Australia, comedian Elliot Goblet, internationally acclaimed dancer/choreographer Drew Anthony, performer/songwriter Christine Anu, and performer Jay Laga’aia.
Elizabeth has been a finalist in one of Australia’s most prestigious prizes, the $18000 Portia Geach Memorial Award in 2001, 2002 , 2003 and 2004.
Elizabeth was selected as a finalist in the $12000 Shirley Hannan National Portrait Awards, 2004 and 2005
Elizabeth’s work is held in private and public collections locally, nationally and internationally. In 2004 one of her portraits of Christine Anu, ‘Christine Anu-Waiting for Zipporah’ ,was added to the collection of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
A truly passionate painter, Elizabeth is a highly committed professional who aspires to a realness, something strong, something that goes beyond a well-techniqued work- to preserve a palpable presence of those she paints.