Barbara Peirson

Barbara Peirson is an East Anglian artist, she studied Fine Art at Colchester School of Art after first training as an actor. Perhaps it is because of her roots in the theatre that a sense of narrative pervades Barbara’s works even though this narrative is elusive. The landscapes and the figures that appear in them appear neither real nor wholly imagined, evoking a world half remembered. Originating from the North East of England, she now lives in the coastal marshlands of Essex, painting from her studio, a stone’s throw from the river which washes in and out with the tide, where the sea and land merge in mud flats, tidal creeks, and flooded fields providing a continuous backdrop to fleeting moments. Barbara paints early in the morning, when the world is still quiet, beginning her day often by heading out along the estuary with her sketchbook. “Back in the studio I aim to recreate the feeling and atmosphere of the landscape, the vastness of it. Then I wait for figures to appear in the painting, seemingly of their own accord, prompted by memory, imagination, or old photographs. I try to capture the transience and stillness of the present moment and the human concerns we layer upon it.” Painting mostly in acrylics, occasional wax crayons, gouache and acrylic ink, Barbara enjoys the textures and physicality of paint, building layers, wiping away, scraping and playing with the surface is all part of her creative process. A member of the esteemed Contemporary British Painting group, Barbara exhibits nationally and has work held in private and public collections both in the UK and abroad.