Barbara Balmer facts for kids

Barbara Balmer (born September 23, 1929 – died December 31, 2017) was a talented Scottish artist and teacher. She was also a member of the Royal Scottish Academy, which is a big honor for artists in Scotland.

About Barbara Balmer

Barbara Balmer was born in Birmingham, England. She loved art from a young age. From 1946 to 1951, she studied art at two different schools: the Coventry School of Art and the Edinburgh College of Art.

Her Travels and Teaching

After her studies, Barbara received a special scholarship. This allowed her to travel and learn more about art in France and Spain during 1951 and 1952. She also visited Italy with a group of artists.

Later in her life, Barbara shared her knowledge with others. From 1970 to 1980, she was a visiting teacher at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen.

Her Artworks and Exhibitions

Barbara Balmer's art became quite famous. Seven of her paintings were chosen to be used as covers for books in the Virago Modern Classics series. Imagine seeing her art on a book!

She also created a very large painting, called a mural, which you can find in Cumbernauld Town Hall.

Barbara's artwork was shown in many places. She had her very own art show at the Aberdeen Art Gallery in 1995 and 1996. She also regularly showed her paintings at important art events, like those held by the Royal Scottish Academy and the Society of Scottish Artists.

Her portrait of a famous art dealer, Richard Demarco, is kept in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Many other public art galleries also have her paintings. A special exhibition that showed many of her works traveled to different cities like Dundee, Lincoln, and Coventry.

Her Life and Family

Barbara Balmer lived and worked in several places, including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and later in Stamford. She loved to visit Tuscany in Italy every year to get inspiration for her art.

She was married to another artist and designer, George Mackie, for about 65 years. They had two daughters together.