I hold a BA from Ohio University, focused on botany and geography, and a masters in landscape architecture from the University of Oregon. I’m a plant enthusiast with a background in horticulture who enjoys working with and learning about plants. I’m fascinated by ecosystems and love doing a deep dive into how organisms and the systems around them function together.

Following my undergraduate, I worked at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Garden in Columbus, Ohio as a horticulturist and grounds technician. My gardening knowledge has grown considerably since, taking on roles as a gardener in Eugene, OR and attending thorough plant ID classes at the UO, which emphasized the recitation of botanical names. This education has been indispensable to me.

My focus in landscape design is situated between my love for green spaces and the societies that surround and interact with them. My graduate thesis sought to analyze small and large scale ecological and social factors surrounding forest fires, seeking out design elements that overlap. I enjoyed researching planting strategies as well as digging into the psychology of social organizing.

As a landscape designer, I believe that I have a duty to make spaces that feel comfortable and safe for people of many backgrounds. I’m passionate about projects that consider how folks on the spectrum, women, and unhoused people will experience spaces.

My artwork takes inspiration from the natural and built environments I work with. I’m interested in how people interact with spaces and everyday objects. Much of my work features personal items and plants found in my neighborhood.

Holding many interests, I’m currently delving deeper into graphic and web design. In my free time, I can be found reading, sketching, baking, or studying for the LARE(!).

Hi, I’m Kelli

White Oak leaf with gall, drawn in the field.

Placing leaves on overwintering garden beds only to find my Wild Ginger in bloom.

Items of Importance. Screen print, by Kelli Barker, featuring a community gathering.

Software Skills

AutoCAD

Adobe Suite

Windows Word & Excel

Sketchup

Lumion

Figma

ArcGIS

Currently

Available to work

Offering

Commissioned artwork

Original artwork and prints