Shona Barr graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1988, where she won the Landscape Prize and the Armour Prize for Still Life. She then continued her training at the Kunstakedimi in Oslo, Winchester School of Art, as well as in Barcelona. She gained an MA at the University of Southampton.
Her work vibrates with energy; her loose, colourful brushwork and her deeply-felt inspiration from the natural world, make her one of the most exciting and evocative artists in Scotland. Drawing her inspiration from nature, Barr's paintings reflect her continued interest in capturing the vitality of the British landscape. Colour is a key element in her work and her expressive canvasses explore panoramic sea views, rolling fields and hills and dynamic floral compositions. Indeed, her floral paintings have an intense, magnified quality which envelopes the viewer.
Most of Barr’s paintings begin in watercolour outside, au plein air, where she seeks out the colours, light and essence of the landscape and flora. These smaller works are the basis of Barr’s work in the studio, where she creates large, impressive canvases that retain the freshness of her surroundings. It is Barr’s rare, bold and direct approach, successfully capturing hidden aspects of place, that makes her paintings so captivating
Her work has been critically acclaimed over the years and can be found in many public, corporate and private collections in Hong Kong, Australia, South Africa, Canada and throughout the USA and UK. She has been included in the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Glasgow Institute (David Cargill Award, 1989), Paisley Art Institute and exhibits frequently in galleries across the United Kingdom.