Wild About Art
with artist Anne Barron
Welcome to my website - hope you enjoy my diverse range of artwork. I'm an artist living and working from my garden studio in Shetland, where I can walk out and see the Atlantic Ocean, and I don't have to travel far to see the North Sea. Having been passionate about drawing and painting animals all my life, the sea, the light and the seabirds, ponies and wildlife in Shetland now feature regularly in my work.
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You can find your way to my artwork by using the buttons above, and you can order prints, originals and even merchandise like mugs and coasters with most of the images you can see here by going to my Shop page (see button above) or via the Contact page, or telephone on 07713985081. Other merchandise featuring my artwork is also available from my Redbubble page (click on the link above). If you would like to follow me, click on the links to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & my Wordpress blog.
The Studio in the garage
Minn beach is just a short walk from the studio / house
The artist!
Very happy to have been accepted as a Full Member of Shetland Arts & Crafts Association and now able to have my work shown in any of their exhibitions / outlets and have twice exhibited at the Bonhoga Gallery as part of the Association as well as having a commissioned Christmas card accepted by Shetland Arts last Christmas for sale at the Bonhoga Gallery and the Mareel and airport shops.
For some years I have been a Professional Associate of the Society for All Artists. have a Portfolio Membership online with Artists & Illustrators Magazine and last, but not least, was accepted as a
Signature member of Artists For Conservation website.
Artists for Conservation (AFC) – the world’s leading artist group supporting the environment, representing 500 of the world’s leading nature/wildlife artists from 30 countries.
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AFC's mission is to support wildlife and habitat conservation and environmental education through art that celebrates nature. I was recognised and accepted as a member by the Jury due to being a long-term fundraiser for wildlife and conservation charities over the past 40 years.
Shetland has been a great influence on my work since I came to live here in 2007 with my partner, Mike. For the first time ever I have a studio which has been sculpted out of the old stone garage building in the garden. We look out over the Atlantic on one side and across the Voe to Houss (the east side of Burra) on the other, so my colour palette is very much affected by the sea and all its varied colours. The light in Shetland is extraordinary and with the amazing scenery, light and wildlife, it is of course a real draw to artists and other creative people.
My love of wildlife has meant that I have been able to continue supporting a wildlife charity, the local Hillswick Sanctuary for otters and seals, where injured animals are brought back to a level of fitness that enables them to be returned to the wild.
The filming by many visitors to Shetland including Simon King's Shetland diaries has created an interest not only in the otters he was so fascinated by, but also the islands themselves. Fair Isle has always been a magnet to bird watchers, and in recent times more regular sightings of Humpback Whales and Orcas, has increased wildlife tourism even more.
Tourism has changed Shetland quite drastically in recent years until the past few quiet years, mostly due to amazing festivals including fantastic music events, a celebration of Shetland's food suppliers, a superb film and literary festival and not forgetting the most hit of all, the Wool Week which brings people from all over the world to enjoy a week of intense crafting workshops, cameraderie and laughter. I love to take part in any of the festivals I can get to, particularly the Wool Week as I have also become an enthusiastic and not very good knitter, which is a useful skill on a dark winter night in front of the wood burner. In recent years the most interest in tourism has been created by the Shetland crime drama, and Jimmy Perez's house in Lerwick has become one of the most photographed places in the town.
Shetland
Animals
Gee Gee. A lovely Shetland pony, painted in acrylic on canvas as a commission
Slester is a Shetland word for "mucky" or "dirty" and seemed to fit this very handsome coo down to the ground. Painted in pastels on Pastelmat paper, this now graces the wall of my best friend.
Otter swimming. Acrylic.
Gee Gee. A lovely Shetland pony, painted in acrylic on canvas as a commission
Animals, and wildlife conservation, have been an important inspiration for my art - my earliest drawings were of animals, and I have spent 30 years taking commissions for portraits of animals and people, with hundreds of happy clients. However I am taking a break from commissions but these images are now available as prints and cards, which can be ordered by following my Redbubble link at the bottom of each page, or by contacting me directly.
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I was co-founder of the Wild about Art Wildlife Exhibitions in Sheffield with my colleague and fellow artist Irene Nixon, when we attracted some of the top wildlife artists in the UK including two of the best who are sadly no longer with us, the iconic David Shepherd and wonderful Pollyanna Pickering. The exhibitions raised over £20,000 for various wildlife charities, of which I'm very proud, but I continue to support wildlife charities including a small but vital local charity in Shetland who rehabilitate injured sea mammals and birds - the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, and donations from my sales go regularly to them.
Portraits
Acrylic painting on board showing one of my favourite TV Detectives - with a nod to a boardgame remembered from childhood - Cluedo.
Acrylic painting on board showing one of my favourite TV Detectives - with a nod to a boardgame remembered from childhood - Cluedo.
One of a series of images I painted of some gorgeous young women who worked at the same hair salon where I had my hair done. I started with Louisa who gave me her "theme" but for the others I tried to match their personality with a style of painting (as I saw them). This Kimberley who I felt was perfect for a classical and romantic Pre-Raphaelite style, as per Dante Gabrielle Rosetti.
Acrylic painting on board showing one of my favourite TV Detectives - with a nod to a boardgame remembered from childhood - Cluedo.
I have painted and drawn portraits all my life and some below are examples of past commissions, or, in some cases such as the snooker players, were made specially for a particular exhibition or event. The World Championship Snooker competition at the Crucible in Sheffield saw myself and various colleagues invited to have an exhibition two years running as part of the event. It was great fun and we met many of the stars of the sport and commentators, and our work was popular with the players themselves and with the public. These are now available only as prints and cards, which can be ordered by following my Redbubble link at the bottom of each page. Alternatively you can order artwork via the Contact page
Cartoons
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Cartoons have always been a fascination of mine, from enjoying the work of some of the best cartoonists whether in strip cartoons or art cartoons and have done a number of children's book illustrations for an agency in the past and in recent times the illustrations for a friend's delightful children's book called The Blackbird Who Could Not Sing. Some copies of this are available direct from me in my shop page, or from my studio, but are also available from Amazon
My new tiny art studio in the garden at our house in Papil, Burra, is open to visitors with special measures to keep visitors safe - only small groups could get in anyway so only visitors who are in a "bubble" can go in together. Hand sanitisers and disposable masks are available. Once lockdown is properly over I can be a bit more sociable and offer tea and tabnabs to visitors .............if you'd like to visit, email me at wildaboutart@yahoo.co.uk or teleplhone on 01595 859060 to check if we're able to open the studio for you but in the spring and summer months, the studio should be in use and open to the public most afternoons.
Studio Visits & Workshops
One to one workshops are now available from April 2022, £60 for a two hour session with a tea/coffee break. The session is tailored perfectly to your requirements, eg you can bring your own reference photograph to work from, you can choose what medium you'd like to learn and if you prefer to break this down into two separate one hour sessions, that is fine. You will be given advice on art materials, demonstrations and guidance on your painting and free feedback, suggestions and advice by email (or face to face) on any work you do following on from the workshop. Mediums available are graphite, charcoal, coloured pencils, pastels, watercolours and acrylics. Open workshops may be arranged at different times of year, in venues around Shetland with visiting art & craft instructors, or by myself or other local artists - watch the News and Events space. Book a studio slot here
Commissions
Sheepdog painted from a photograph in acrylics on canvas
I am now available for commission work, starting from April this year (2022) and will happily discuss your requirements and schedule you in for later in the year - even for Christmas commissions to avoid an end of year stampede. Commissions are available in a range of mediums, styles (realistic, cartoon or fantasy) and sizes to suit. Framing is available at an added price for local clients and unframed paintings can be posted to most parts of the world. See my price list for commissions and either fill in the enquiry form (click on button below) or you can contact me at wildaboutart@yahoo.co.uk or phone me on 07713985081 to discuss your requirements.
News & Events
II'm a founder member of the Fine Art Shetland Group who are having a very successful year with an exhibition at the Old Haa, Yell, and a very well received Pop Up Gallery in the middle of town on Commercial Street which lasted six weeks. Our next venture is a shared stand at the forthcoming Shetland Arts & Crafts Annual Craft Fair at Clickimin from 4-6th November. This will be the first time we have shared a stand so we hope you'll come along and support us. Two of our members will be having a stand of their own, Sarah Kay and Diane Garrick, but Sarah will be putting some of her collaborations with Anne Barron on the shared stand - new pieces with some iconic Shetland views. See Mandy Hunter, Tracey Jane Cassidy, Anne Barron &and some of her collaborations with Sarah Kay from Friday 4th November (7-9pm), Saturday 5th (10am-6pm) and Sunday (11am-5pm). On sale will be original art, prints, cards. mugs & coasters and bookmarks. Admission £2 / £1 Concessions.
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HILLSWICK ART COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION UNFORTUNATELY POSPONED UNTIL 2022 DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
- news of this year's Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary Art Competition/Exhibition - an Anonymous Art Exhibition for open to adults anywhere and a t-shirt designing competition for Shetland children aged 5-16 with some great prizes to be announced soon. Details of the dates and venue are to be decided nearer to the time and will hopefully coincide with a Grand Reopening of the Hillswick Visitor Sanctuary with their new Visitor Centre. Follow me on Facebook to hear more by clicking on the Facebook link below. All proceeds of the event will go to the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, to help with their day to day running costs, food for the animals and necessary equipment purchases and maintenance. You can help this important work by agreeing to pay a £5 monthly subscription - click on the link to go to their website.........
Please note that all images on this site are the copyright of Anne Barron and may not be downloaded or printed without prior permission
CONTACT ME
For all enquiries, or to be added to my mailing list for quarterly newsletters, please complete this short contact form and I'll be back in touch just as quickly as I can. Thanks!
Anne Barron
Wild About Art Studio
(Bailey & Barron) Duncansclate
Bridge End, Shetland, ZE2 9UY
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Tel: 07713985081
email: wildaboutart@yahoo.co.uk
