McLean, Barbara

Barbara McLean is a graduate of the Graphic Design program at Sheridan College, and has a BFA with a major in fine art from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She conducts workshops for art associations throughout Nova Scotia.

Barbara’s work has been purchased by the Shannex Corporation, Nova Scotia Art Bank, GPI Atlantic, as well as many private collectors across Canada, USA, and Korea. They have also featured in film and television productions.

Barbara’s large abstracts and landscape paintings are charged with energy and colour, engaging the viewer with confident, intuitive brush strokes. They reveal a compelling personal philosophy: a welcoming of change, a belief in serendipity and the courage to investigate the unknown, a philosophy presented through the medium of paint.

Artist Statement

Abstract pieces frequently begin with ‘drippy’ washes in a predetermined colour. Over this I paint bold unpremeditated marks usually with a very large brush, but sometimes with a squeegee or a rag. I have learned to trust my intuition and allow myself to enjoy and preserve the unexpected. After the initial spontaneous mark-making I evaluate the surface, making intellectual decisions that compliment or strengthen the original gestures until I am satisfied that the visual statement is as effective as it can be. This intellectual analysis tempers the raw energy, unifying and finishing it.