Collection: David Barber

David Barber was born in 1968, and is an English realist painter who utilises techniques handed down from the old masters. His carefully crafted paintings are rich in form, colour and detail, bringing a contemporary feel to traditional genre.  David gained a degree in fine art and worked for several years as a commercial artist and illustrator before embarking on a teaching career.  He always nurtured a longing to be able to paint for a living, and only in 2021 did he make the momentous decision to quit teaching and start painting in earnest to make it his new career. Generally, he prefers to paint from life, 'en plein air' or from still life arrangements in his studio, because he feels this gives more of a direct connection with his subject matter. David feels that painting from life provides a richer insight into the colour and form of the subject, in a way that a photograph simply can't do. He does occasionally use photographic reference material for studio commissions where direct reference is impossible, but these paintings also draw extensively from his many hours studying nature directly.

We are thrilled to have David’s superbly observed and beautifully painted still-lifes in the gallery to augment our largely landscape subjects.