About Barbara Craig

Hello there, I paint whatever inspires me, most often this will be something I've encountered whilst I've been out rambling about in the countryside and villages where I live in France or the land and shore (and more often) the weather of Ireland, my birthplace. And we get a lot of weather in Ireland! It's surprised me looking back on my work how often rain and wind figure! not a lot of sunshine, but my work is anything but dull. I love colour, I try to tone it down on occasion but when I look at things I see colour, a hint of this, a touch of that. My paintings evolve from sketches produced 'en plein aire' indeed sometimes the whole painting has been painted all fresco. Often I work on a series of pieces from an original sketch and each painting evolves and the results become more abstract. But I also paint anything that brings me joy - sometimes animals, birds, flowers even people. My work has been described as uplifting, it is full of vitality, illustrating the quite speedy nature of my application of paint, bold brush strokes, a splash here, a drip there. Whatever happens when I get excited and happy with how a painting is developing, when I don't have to really think anymore and the spontanaety takes love, a subject that may have been a struggle for a while comes to life and suddenly it's done, phew! finished. Different every time, I never want to churn out more of the same, every piece is truly unique.