In her landscapes Barbara Nolan interprets the atmosphere of the coast, sea, sky and seasons. While her work is representational its main appeal is the depiction of the changing moods of the weather and sea showing the wonderful colours of sky and sea at different times and seasons. In her paintings she hopes to capture the atmosphere of a scene evoking the mood and memories of day and place.

She is intrigued by the appeal of still life and when not painting landscapes paints still life and portraits, where she uses colour and composition to develop her work. Her work is influenced by a lifelong fascination with textiles inspired by her mother who was a skilled craftswoman and who took up painting late in life.