LEILA BARTON

Leila Barton is a London/Surrey based artist whose love of oil painting began with her first set of oils, won in a national art competition at the age of 11. Today, her love of paint and colour still defines her style, with bold brushwork and vibrant, heightened colour. A keen observer of the world around her, she looks for the beauty in life and celebrates it in paint. She uses colour as a conduit for emotion, and wants her paintings to capture memories and moments. She is inspired by the season-changing landscape in Britain, and loves travelling for new landscapes, light and colour.

Leila’s first degree was in History of Art and English (Joint BA) at the University of Nottingham. She then worked at the Condé Nast Publications, gaining valuable experience with contemporary images and their archive collection. At 25 however, she couldn’t imagine a future without painting, and moved on to study fine art.

Leila gained a Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) at Chelsea College of Art (University of the Arts London), and then won an award to study for a Master of Fine Art (MFA) at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art.

Born and brought up in London, Leila lives in Surrey with her husband, three children, and dog Alfie. Her paintings are in private collections in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, the Middle East, Australia and Japan. Commissions include painting the portrait of Dame Zandra Rhodes and equine art for Cheltenham Racecourse and the Jockey Club.