Born in 1957, Barbara Pierson is a painter based in Wivenhoe, Essex. She initially trained as an actor before studying Fine Art at Manchester Polytechnic and Colchester School of Art. Alongside her ongoing work in theatre as both an actor and director, she has maintained a sustained painting practice for many years. Barbara has exhibited widely across the UK for over a decade and is a member of Contemporary British Painting. Her work is held in collections internationally. Living and working on the Essex coast, her paintings are informed by the estuary landscape, focusing on atmosphere, light and the fleeting presence of figures within expansive coastal environments.