About me! I’m Barbara, an artist based in Lisburn. Before moving further into the art world, I worked as an occupational therapist for 28 years, always creating art alongside my career and family life. In the early years I mainly painted portraits and illustrations, and during a career break in 2009 after starting my family, I drifted into the craft world creating Celtic-inspired fabric designs and handmade pieces. A few years later I discovered mixed media and completely fell in love with texture, layering and more whimsical styles of painting. I’ve always been drawn to folk art and comforting naïve artwork, especially Scandinavian folk art, and I’ve had a lifelong soft spot for Moomins and the beautiful world created by Tove Jansson. My first landscape came from a commission for a friend, and something just clicked. I realised I could bring together all the things I loved — texture, storytelling, loose expressive painting and folk-inspired detail — into atmospheric cosy countryside dreamscapes and intuitive landscapes. I also love painting floral still lifes and I’m currently really enjoying developing more naive art style street scenes, which is something close to my heart and roots and I hope to work on and develop. Over the last four years I’ve been lucky enough to have work sold through galleries while juggling family life, three teenagers, a lively collection of pets, and a part-time café job. My hope is to continue building a full-time career through my art and creating work that feels honest, comforting and full of character. ✨